Reasons why U.S. shoppers would buy from a competitor of their favorite brand 2024

According to a survey conducted in March 2024 among online shoppers, nearly 70 percent of consumers in the United States said they would choose to buy from a competitor of their favorite brand if it offered lower prices, while around 63 percent would do so for better product quality. Around a quarter of respondents would also choose the brand that offered better customer service, and 17 percent of shoppers would follow a verified review or recommendation.  

How shoppers respond to poor customer service 

Receiving poor customer service was enough to make online shoppers in the United States stop shopping with a brand in 2024. However, switching brands was not the only action that shoppers took. Poor survey ratings and bad reviews were other popular ways for shoppers to respond to poor customer service.  

The importance of word of mouth 

Bad reviews had the potential to be especially harmful to a brand in 2024 because many shoppers regularly recommended brands to their family and friends that year. The vast majority of consumers in the United States trusted product recommendations from their friends and family, and reviewers were the second most trusted source of product recommendations in 2024.