Editorial
The Gist
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Transparency drives loyalty. Consumers expect transparency in pricing, data usage and sustainability. Trust is a key driver of loyalty across industries.
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Sustainability is essential. Sustainability has become a baseline expectation, with consumers seeking brands that align with their environmental values.
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Empathy enhances engagement. Empathetic, personalized experiences are crucial for connecting with customers. Brands that show understanding and inclusivity build stronger, more loyal relationships.
As 2025 approaches, consumer behavior continues to evolve rapidly, shaped by advancing technologies, shifting economic conditions and a growing emphasis on personal values like transparency and sustainability. These changes present both challenges and opportunities for businesses to adapt and thrive.
Regardless of the industry, a common thread is rising consumer expectations for personalized and meaningful interactions at every touchpoint. Experiences in one industry often inform expectations in another. When consumers encounter seamless personalization in retail or empathetic support in healthcare, they carry those standards across industries. This cross-pollination of expectations reflects some core universal themes, including the desire for trust, empathy, sustainability, clear communication and easy access to information.
Consumers are seeking brands that understand their needs, respect their individuality and reflect their values. Whether shopping for groceries, securing a financial future or managing their health, consumers want easy, meaningful experiences that resonate deeply. Brands that deliver these qualities at scale will cultivate lasting relationships with their customers.
Drawing from UserTesting’s Q4 2024 Pulse Reports across five industries — retail, high-tech, financial services, media and entertainment, and healthcare — we’ve identified key consumer behavior trends that will define consumer expectations in the year ahead, along with actionable insights to help businesses meet them head-on.
Key Themes Shaping Consumer Behavior Trends Across Industries
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Transparency and Trust: Consumers value honesty and clarity in every interaction, which makes transparency a cornerstone of trust. Across industries, trust-building takes different forms, but it serves the same purpose of cultivating loyalty.
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Retail: Shoppers demand clear sourcing information and pricing transparency, and they gravitate toward brands that openly share their sustainability practices.
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High-Tech: Consumers seek clarity about how their data is collected and used, and they expect brands to prioritize privacy and security.
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Healthcare: Patients trust providers that are upfront about care options, costs and the use of personal health data.
Transparency and trust directly impact Net Promoter Score (NPS) and customer satisfaction score (CSAT). For example, a lack of clarity in pricing or data usage can erode trust, which results in declining scores. Conversely, brands that demonstrate transparency consistently see higher NPS and CSAT, which reflects stronger customer loyalty.
Related Article: Building a Trust-First Brand: Transparency and Consent in Marketing
Sustainability: A Core Expectation for Consumers in 2025
Sustainability is no longer an industry-specific trend; it’s a core expectation. Consumers actively seek brands that align with their environmental and social values, which makes sustainability a key competitive differentiator.
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Retail: Shoppers favor eco-conscious brands offering sustainable products and packaging, such as ethically sourced goods or zero-waste packaging.
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Media and Entertainment: Viewers look for companies producing content with sustainable practices, from minimizing production footprints to advocating for climate-conscious storytelling.
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Financial Services: Investors and account holders seek institutions offering green investment options or demonstrating corporate responsibility through climate-conscious initiatives.
Tracking sustainability metrics such as carbon footprint reduction, sustainable product adoption and customer engagement with green initiatives provides clear insights into how well brands align with consumer values. These metrics not only signal environmental impact but also influence customer lifetime value (CLV) by cultivating deeper loyalty.
The Growing Role of Empathy in Consumer Engagement
While digital tools enhance convenience, the human touch remains irreplaceable. Across industries, empathy manifests in inclusive design, accessible experiences and proactive customer support that meets people where they are.
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Healthcare: Patients expect providers to demonstrate empathy through personalized care and accessible telehealth solutions.
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Financial Services: Consumers value tools that simplify complex processes, but they also want empathetic advisors available to assist during key financial decisions.
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Retail: Shoppers appreciate brands that respond thoughtfully to their needs, whether through personalized recommendations or proactive customer service.
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Empathy is reflected in metrics like time to resolution (TTR) and sentiment analysis. Faster resolution of customer issues and positive emotional sentiment in feedback indicate that a brand is successfully meeting customer needs and building trust.
The Demand for Consistent Multi-Channel Customer Experiences
Today’s consumers are omnichannel by nature, and they engage fluidly across digital and physical touchpoints. They expect consistency and convenience regardless of the platform or context.
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Media and entertainment: Viewers want seamless transitions between live, on-demand and multi-device streaming.
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Retail: Shoppers expect consistent product availability and personalized recommendations whether online, in-store or on a mobile device.
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High-Tech: Consumers demand easy integration across devices, from smart home systems to wearable devices.
Channel transition success rate and omnichannel engagement metrics track how well brands deliver consistent experiences across platforms. Higher rates reflect a frictionless customer journey while inconsistencies can result in customer drop-off or lower loyalty scores.
Related Article: Seamless Omnichannel Strategy: Best Practices for Customer Engagement
How to Measure Success in the Age of Human-Centric Marketing
Transparency, sustainability, empathy and seamless engagement aren’t just consumer behavior trends. They’re expectations that every business must meet to stay relevant in 2025 and beyond. Measuring success through the right KPIs — whether NPS, CSAT or CLV — helps organizations validate strategies, uncover opportunities for improvement and align efforts with evolving customer demands.
By addressing these shared behaviors and tracking the metrics that matter, companies can build trust, deliver value and build deeper connections across every customer interaction. Are you ready to meet the challenge?
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