Survey: Most shoppers find holiday promotions misleading or unclear
Consumer confidence in retailers’ holiday promotions is slipping — and leading to changes in where they spend.
Most (84%) consumers say holiday promotions feel misleading or unclear at least some of the time, eroding trust during the busiest shopping, according to new survey data from Relex Solutions. The results come as retailers are spending billions to win holiday shoppers with promotions.
The consequences are costly: The overwhelming majority of shoppers change their behavior when they lose trust in a retailer's promotions by shopping less (29%), avoiding promoted items (28%) or switching to another retailer (27%). Shoppers who feel misled frequently are even more decisive — nearly half (45%) will reduce or stop shopping with a retailer they no longer trust.
Younger shoppers (18-24) are the most responsive to deals — and the most sensitive to bad ones. Half (50%) say they switch retailers immediately when a promotion feels misleading, compared with much lower rates among older shoppers
The survey of 1,051 U.S. consumers reveals a widening disconnect between the deals retailers run and the deals shoppers trust. Only 32% of consumers say they feel confident that promotions offer real savings.
As to what fuels distrust, 65% of shoppers say promotions feel dishonest when the original price isn't shown, and 58% feel misled when items aren't actually available at the promoted price. Also, 53% say unclear terms make deals confusing rather than compelling
Other findings from the Relex survey are below.
•Repetitive deals are making promotions meaningless: With 60% of respondents believing brands repeat the same deals over and over, shoppers are increasingly seeing through the promotional playbook. Nearly three in four shoppers have learned to work around the cycle:
- 28% stock up during known promotion cycles;
- 24% ignore repetitive deals entirely; and
- 20% only buy during predictable promotions and never at regular price.
•What consumers want: Overall, consumers say they want more transparency when it comes to promotions. When asked how retailers could fix promotions, shoppers were clear:
- 35% want fairer pricing;
- 25% want clear percentage discounts;
- 20% want advertised deals to actually be available; and
- 19% want simpler offers,
There’s a massive gap between promotional strategy and execution,” said Thom Iddon-Escalante, director, presales pricing and promotions, Relex Solutions, a unified supply chain planning platform for retailers and manufacturers “Marketing teams can design compelling campaigns, but if supply chains can’t deliver inventory or pricing systems can’t clearly communicate savings, the promotion becomes a trust-breaking moment instead of a sales driver.”
“As we look ahead, promotion success won’t come from deeper discounts, but from deals shoppers believe are real,” added Iddon-Escalante. “That requires operational excellence: reliable inventory, transparent pricing logic, and tighter coordination between retailers and the suppliers funding these promotions. Shoppers reward retailers who get this right.”
Methodology
The Relex Promotional Trust Consumer Survey was conducted by Researchscape in November 2025 and includes responses from 1,051 U.S. shoppers aged 18 and older. The survey explores attitudes toward holiday promotions, pricing clarity, trust in retail communication, and the behavioral impact of promotional execution.
