Can a single tool change how your customers choose, buy, and stay loyal? Recent research gives you a clear picture. Deloitte’s 2025 study of roughly 3,500 US shoppers found 53% experimenting with or using generative AI, up from 38% a year earlier. Regular users nearly doubled to 20%, and more than half engage daily.

This shift affects your marketing and product plans. US households raised spending on connected devices to about $896 last year, and monthly services climbed to $183. At the same time, 77% say tech firms focus more on beating rivals than solving real problems, and 69% warn innovation is racing ahead without enough risk checks.

You’ll get a friendly, practical overview that links these facts to real choices. Learn which signals—spend, frequency, perceived value—matter most so you can adjust your messaging, channels, and service delivery. Focus on experience and trust to turn short-term curiosity into lasting loyalty.

Key Takeaways

• Generative AI adoption rose sharply; daily use is now common.
• Household spending on devices and services is increasing.
• Consumers weigh personalization against privacy and trust.
• Businesses must balance rapid innovation with risk mitigation.
• Use data signals—spending and frequency—to guide investments.
• Practical changes to messaging and channels can boost loyalty.

From early digital touchpoints to data-driven journeys: how your consumers got here

Your customers moved from occasional clicks to continuous, data-rich journeys that guide choices in real time. The 2025 Connected Consumer study shows gen AI appearing inside phones, search, social platforms, and productivity apps, so signals now flow from many sources into one unified path.

Impact’s analysis underlines why speed and checkout clarity matter: users are 32% more likely to bounce if a page takes up to three seconds to load. Friction at checkout also sends shoppers away, so convenience and reliability became table stakes.

Trace how platforms and devices turned isolated media moments into always-on experiences. Phones, search, and social became discovery hubs, while email, messaging, and apps handle follow-up and service.

Map data from each touchpoint to specific customer needs so you can cut friction across awareness, purchase, and support. Use faster pages, clearer flows, and better information architecture to help customers move with confidence.

• Shorten load times and simplify checkout steps.
• Connect signals across platforms to personalize offers.
• Test where your platforms lack speed or clarity.

technology consumer behavior: the key shifts you need to watch

Personalization only pays off when people feel in control of their data. Deloitte finds 70% of respondents now worry about privacy and security, and 47% faced a digital security failure in the past year. That widening trust gap is shaping how your customers respond to tailored offers.

From convenience to confidence: why personalization must come with transparency, control, and security

Most users access AI features on phones, websites, and embedded apps. Yet only 20% say providers explain what they collect clearly, and just 27% trust data is kept safe.

Close the confidence gap by showing short, plain-language notices, easy opt-outs, and one-click data deletion. Those controls reduce perceived risk and keep personalization useful.

The rise of always-on discovery: search, social, and embedded experiences shaping decisions in real time

Decisions now happen in moments across search, social, and other platforms. You must align data collection with clear, valuable use cases so requests feel fair, not invasive.

• Make consent simple and visible.
• Map collected information to specific customer value.
• Watch micro-behaviors for early signs of lost trust and fix friction fast.

“When transparency is simple, customers are more likely to engage and convert.”

Gen AI goes mainstream: what adoption, trust, and spending signals mean for your next move

Everyday tasks now lean on AI helpers that save time and shape expectations. About 53% of consumers try or use gen AI, with 20% regular users and 51% of those people using it daily. Top routines include writing and editing, quick research, summarizing, and getting recommendations.

Everyday use cases are sticking

Make space for the habits people already formed. Writing, notes, and concise summaries are now default assists for many customers. Roughly 38% use tools weekly, and 4 in 10 pay for premium features while others stay on free tiers.

Chatbots as advisors

Treat chatbots like real advisors. Seventy-two percent of users say chatbot help rivals humans. Measure clarity, reliability, and outcomes so your bots earn loyalty instead of only cutting support costs.

The trust gap widens

Concerns are real: 82% fear misuse and 74% worry about erosion of critical thinking. A third of users saw incorrect information, and nearly a quarter faced data privacy issues. Frame information quality with clear verification and plain safeguards.

Responsible innovation wins

Trusted trailblazers who pair bold innovation with strong data responsibility see higher returns. Their customers spend about 62% more on devices and 26% more on monthly services. That shows the direct impact of trust on wallet share.

• Pinpoint daily gen AI use like writing and research to match real demand.
• Decide when to build or integrate tools so embedded technologies broaden reach without bloat.
• Design defaults that favor user control across age groups and reduce misuse risks.

“Pairing intelligence with protection turns curiosity into lasting spend.”

For deeper context on adoption trends, see the Deloitte study.

Where consumers shop and decide now: phygital, social commerce, and immersive experiences

Buying moments happen everywhere: in-store kiosks, shoppable videos, and AR try-ons that speed purchase and cut doubt. You’ll need to blend store and screen so every step feels seamless and useful.

Phygital retail takes the lead

Unified inventory and BOPIS are table stakes for convenience and conversion. Cashier-less checkout and interactive tools trim friction so staff can craft memorable experiences in flagship stores.

Social-first buying

Shoppable livestreams and micro-influencers speed time-to-purchase on key platforms. Pairing shoppable media with AI-created content helps you scale product storytelling while keeping authenticity for your brands.

Try-before-you-buy at scale

AR and VR trials reduce returns by letting customers see product fit in context. Operationalize virtual try-ons and harmonize payments, support, and logistics so post-purchase satisfaction and loyalty rise.

• Redesign journeys to blend store and screen for faster shopping and higher conversion.
• Evaluate cashier-less systems and kiosks to lower purchase friction and sharpen service.
• Build social-first marketing with shoppable media, influence partners, and scalable content.

“When you meet customers where they decide, you shorten the path from discovery to purchase.”

Discovery is changing: optimize for voice and visual search across platforms

Discovery is moving beyond typed search into spoken questions and image-driven finds. Retailers who tune content for those moments win attention and purchases.

Voice queries reshape your content. Write answers that match natural speech. Use local modifiers and short, clear replies so customers find the right information fast.

Voice queries reshape your content: conversational intent, local context, and product findability

Frame product pages as direct answers. Add question-and-answer snippets, simple specs, and store details for local results.

• Rework copy to mirror spoken queries and local intent.
• Structure product data so voice assistants can pick a single, accurate answer.
• Measure outcomes with lightweight analytics that link discovery to revenue.

Visual search readiness: image quality, metadata, and AI-readable catalogs

Prepare images for tools like Google Lens and Pinterest Lens. Use clear photos, consistent metadata, and schema so AI can identify products reliably.

• Build AI-readable catalogs with clean imagery and consistent titles.
• Audit alt text, filenames, and tags to remove gaps that block findability.
• Adapt marketing assets for camera-driven discovery to lift click-through rates.

Meet intent where people look and speak so you reduce browsing time and boost confidence. Small fixes to content, data, and platforms pay off quickly in conversion.

Experience that converts: build reliability, speed, and support into every moment

Fast, dependable experiences turn casual visitors into repeat customers. Uptime and performance are not just ops metrics; they shape satisfaction and trust. Impact found users are 32% more likely to bounce if a page takes up to three seconds to load. That lost demand is revenue you can recover with better engineering and design.

Uptime as a growth lever: why performance and resilience drive satisfaction and repeat purchase

When systems stay up, customers stay engaged. Reliable pages and smooth checkout cut abandonment and lift repeat purchase rates. Design with failovers and graceful degradation so an outage becomes a minor annoyance, not a lost relationship.

Automation that feels human: proactive service, chatbots, and tailored communications at scale

Automation should comfort, not confuse. Use contextual chatbots, timely notifications, and clear confirmations so messages feel personal. Standardize support flows across services to resolve issues faster and reduce effort for the customer.

• Treat uptime as growth: connect performance gains to satisfaction and repeat purchase.
• Prioritize fast experiences: mobile-first pages and checkout reduce bounces in seconds.
• Standardize support: proactive alerts and unified processes cut friction across the process.
• Automate with care: contextual bots and tailored comms respect preferences and time.
• Design for resilience: failovers, transparent status, and measured recovery protect engagement.

“Reliable experiences build trust faster than any marketing spend.”

Measure the impact of speed and support on loyalty and conversion. Use simple experiments to show how small wins in performance yield outsized impact on customer satisfaction, engagement, and long-term value.

Turn insights into action: your measurement framework for behaviors that matter

Build a measurement plan that treats trust and innovation as twin drivers of customer spend. Start by translating research signals into concrete questions: which exposures lift engagement, which steps drop satisfaction, and which investments earn loyalty across platforms and devices.

From exposure to loyalty: analytics to track engagement, satisfaction, and retention across devices and services

Design an analytics stack that captures exposure, clicks, time, and repeat visits at a granular level. Combine these metrics with simple satisfaction surveys and retention cohorts so you can link events to revenue.

Use the Deloitte insight: trusted trailblazers—high innovation plus strong data responsibility—see higher spend and satisfaction. That means you should measure both innovation signals and trust-by-design metrics to predict lift.

• Map exposures to engagement and loyalty cohorts across platforms and services.
• Benchmark your level of transparency, control, and protection to reduce churn risk.
• Attribute speed, uptime, and support fixes to satisfaction gains so you can fund winners.

“Measure influence from service quality and information clarity, not just ad impressions.”

Conclusion

Anchor your roadmap in small experiments that prove impact and protect trust. Start with clear goals that link each innovation to measurable gains in conversion, uptime, and support.

Choose technologies and technologies that speed discovery, checkout, and follow-up. Pair those choices with plain controls so consumers feel in charge of their data.

You’ll see how marketing, media, and brands work better when experience and protection go hand in hand. Your businesses win durable loyalty as you make shopping and purchase smoother across channels.

Turn insight into action: set targets for experience quality, uptime, and protection, close the loop with teams, and measure the impact on loyalty and business outcomes.

FAQ

How does emerging tech shape your customers’ decisions?

New tools change how people find, compare, and buy products. Digital touchpoints like search, social, and in-app discovery speed up decisions. Data-driven journeys let you deliver timely recommendations, while immersive options—AR try-ons or livestream shopping—cut friction and boost confidence.

What key shifts should you watch in shopper habits?

Expect a move from pure convenience toward trusted, personalized experiences. People want tailored suggestions but also control and clear privacy protections. Always-on discovery means decisions happen in real time across platforms, so your presence must be consistent and helpful.

How should you balance personalization with user trust?

Give clear choices about data use and visible benefits for sharing information. Offer easy privacy controls, explain how recommendations work, and secure customer data. Transparency and control build confidence, which raises engagement and lifetime value.

Why is generative AI important for your next steps?

Generative models are now part of everyday workflows—writing, summarizing, and product suggestions. They speed tasks, scale content, and improve service. But adoption comes with expectations: accuracy, relevance, and responsible use determine whether customers stick around.

When do chatbots become trusted advisors for your users?

Chatbots earn trust when they provide accurate, contextual help and escalate to humans when needed. Use them for routine queries, personalized suggestions, and proactive outreach. Measured well, they lift satisfaction and lower support costs without feeling robotic.

What trust gaps should you address with AI and automation?

Customers worry about accuracy, bias, and misuse of personal data. Mitigate these by labeling AI outputs, offering correction paths, and enforcing strict data governance. Responsible design reduces risk and boosts perceived value.

How do phygital and social commerce affect where people buy?

People now move between online and offline effortlessly. Unified inventory and cashier-less checkout remove friction in stores, while shoppable livestreams and micro-influencers turn discovery into instant purchases. You must connect channels so the experience feels seamless.

How can AR and VR reduce returns and increase conversions?

Virtual try-ons and immersive demos let buyers preview fit, scale, or style before purchase. That clarity lowers uncertainty, cuts return rates, and increases confidence—especially for apparel, furniture, and beauty products.

What should you optimize for voice and visual search?

For voice, focus on conversational content, local intent, and short answers that match query phrasing. For visual search, improve image quality, add rich metadata, and structure catalogs so AI can read and match items accurately.

How does reliability influence sales and loyalty?

Performance matters. Fast load times, high uptime, and smooth checkout directly impact satisfaction and repeat purchases. Treat resilience as a growth lever—every outage or delay costs trust and revenue.

When does automation feel human to your customers?

Automation feels human when communications are timely, empathetic, and personalized. Use context-aware messages, proactive alerts, and seamless handoffs to people. That approach increases perceived care and reduces churn.

What metrics should you track to turn insights into action?

Track engagement, conversion funnels, time-to-first-value, satisfaction scores, and retention across devices. Link exposure to long-term loyalty metrics so you know which touchpoints truly move the needle.

How do you ensure privacy and security don’t block personalization?

Implement privacy-by-design and give customers choice. Use anonymized analytics and explain benefits clearly. When people see value and control, they share data willingly—letting you personalize without compromising trust.