Customer Generated Reviews Impact Shopping Habits

New study finds consumers trust authentic reviews compared to advertising.

NORTH AMERICA–Authentic, consumer-generated reviews matter to shoppers and impact sales, according to ResellerRatings, a user-generated content reviews platform.

The results of the study reflect a continuous change in consumer behavior as shoppers continue to prioritize first-person reviews and visual content over traditional media outlets and influencers.

According to ResellerRatings, 61 percent of in-store shoppers say a memorable store experience is important. Meanwhile, 17 percent of shoppers trust retailer-recommended products over reviews from customers and 87 percent of consumers are highly likely to select stores or products with customer-generated star ratings.

“User generated content now drives discovery in almost every viable channel, online and offline,” says Nishan Sothilingam, senior director, product management, ResellerRatings. “Our research reinforces the shift to user generated content as the primary source for consumers that are searching for and finding information about product and retailers online.”

Reseller Ratings surveyed more than 40,000 shoppers across stores, web and mobile channels to compose its survey data.