As part of our research for our latest Customer trend index report, we surveyed 1,000 US consumers to find out how they discover new brands, how they want to be reached, what gets them across the line, and what builds lasting loyalty. The findings fall into four areas:

• How they find you
• How they want to hear from you
• What gets them to buy
• What keeps them coming back

Here’s what you need to know to build stronger relationships with your American audience. 

How they find you

1. In-store browsing (51%) and word of mouth (50%) are the top two discovery channels

One percentage point is all that separates in-store browsing (51%) and friend and family recommendations (50%) as American customers’ favorite channels for brand discovery, with search engines being the channel of choice for 39%.

There are over a million retail stores in the US, but with the borderless nature of ecommerce, the industry is booming, with over 28.5 million ecommerce stores worldwide. So, while in-store browsing leads, it’s the other discovery channels that can drive serious growth for brands. 

Building word of mouth as a discovery channel deserves serious time and attention. People trust the real opinions from more than almost anything else you can put in front of them. Referral programs, post-purchase sharing prompts, and review requests can help you get customers to do some of your best marketing for you.

2. Using AI as a discovery channel is growing in popularity

18% of US shoppers say they use AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini to discover new brands. That sounds modest until you break it down: among full-time workers, it’s 30%, and among the highest income bracket (over $99,750 household income), it’s 42%. Regionally, 28% of customers in the West use AI for brand discovery, over double the uptake in the Midwest (10%).

For growing segments of your audience, AI is becoming an integral part of the customer journey. To help your brand show up in AI-generated answers, make sure you’re creating strong content that can be crawled and pulled into searches, like FAQs and articles comparing products.

3. Influencers still help 43% of US customers find new brands 

43% of US consumers have discovered a new brand via influencer content in the last six months. This rises to 64% for Gen Z, but drops to 19% for Baby Boomers.

There’s no question that influencer content works, but it works much better with consumers under 45. Spending influencer budget against unengaged demographics is burning through your precious marketing budget.

How they want to hear from you

4. 28% of US customers want to know what rewards they can get in exchange for their data

While 35% of customers are happy to share their email addresses with brands, a significant portion of your audience (28%) is uncomfortable sharing any contact data, but will do so if they consider the rewards worth it. 

Building trust through a clear sign-up process that explains why you need an email or phone number and what’s in it for the customer (like a discount or exclusive product drops) helps you build a marketing list full of happy and engaged contacts. 

5. Email (42%) and in-store (46%) are the preferred engagement channels

When it comes to their favorite channels for interacting with brands, US customers put in-store first at 46%, email second at 42%, brand website third at 38%, and mobile app fourth at 37%.

Looking at it from a generational view, email comes out on top as the preferred channel for Millennials (45%), and remains a firm second-favorite for Gen Z (40%) and Gen X (41%) and third for Baby Boomers (41%).

That makes email the natural anchor for your customer experience. It’s where your identity (your voice, visuals and personality) gets built and communicated. Making sure your emails are consistent is the first step towards creating a brand people want to engage with across other channels, too. 

6. Mobile apps are central for Gen Z shoppers (44%)

Overall app preference sits at 37%, but for Gen Z it jumps to 44%, putting it ahead of both email and in-store.

For this generation, the app is often where the brand relationship lives. Which means the experience inside it needs to feel like the same brand they see in their inbox, on your site, and across social. Inconsistency across channels is more noticeable to younger shoppers, who know what a personalized, relevant experience looks like. 

7. Weekly is the sweet spot for contact frequency for US customers

34% of US consumers prefer weekly contact from brands, followed by 27% who are happy with monthly contact. The range widens when you look at it by generation: Gen Z are the most open to frequent communication, with 21% comfortable hearing from brands every day, a preference shared by only 4% of Baby Boomers.

This can help you set a cadence for regular messages, like newsletters, launches, and content roundups. A regular rhythm lets customers know what and when to expect messages from your brand. You can then fill the space between these with behavior-driven automations (like abandoned browse flows) to reach customers at key moments in their journey and drive more impactful engagements. 

8. 1 in 5 US consumers say brand communications aren’t personalized enough

20% of US consumers feel the marketing they receive isn’t personalized enough. For Gen Z, that rises to 33%, and Millennials follow at 23%. The Midwest has the strongest appetite for more personalization at 23%, while shoppers in the West are the most satisfied with current levels of personalization.

For younger audiences, especially, generic communications are a big turn-off. Gen Z grew up with experiences tailored by social media algorithms, and brand messaging that doesn’t reflect what they’ve browsed, bought, or shown interest in feels like a big opportunity missed. Closing that gap doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your marketing; behavioral-triggered flows and smarter segmentation will have a big impact with minimal uplift from your team. 

9. Only 22% find marketing messages “very relevant”

The gap between “somewhat relevant” and “very relevant” is where many brands get stuck. 65% of US consumers find brand messages broadly relevant, but only 22% rate them as “very relevant.” 

Getting from broadly relevant to genuinely useful means going beyond demographic targeting. It means responding to what customers are doing in the moment. An abandoned cart email lands because it’s triggered by a real action. A back-in-stock notification works because it’s something the customer already wants. Those are the kind of relevant messages that drive people to act. 

What gets them to buy

10. US shoppers are the most impulsive of any market surveyed

23% of US consumers describe their buying behavior as largely impulse-led. That’s the highest figure across all four markets in the study, ahead of the UK (19%), Singapore (15%), and Australia (13%).

The generational split tells the real story. 41% of Gen Z shoppers describe themselves as impulse buyers, compared to 30% of Millennials, 22% of Gen X, and just 9% of Baby Boomers.

Timely, behavior-triggered communications, well-placed product recommendations, and friction-free checkout experiences all help to drive conversions for impulse purchases. 

11. Friend and family recommendations are the number one impulse trigger (43%)

43% of US consumers say a recommendation from someone they know is what tips them into an unplanned purchase. Timely brand emails follow at 38%, social ads at 34%. Influencer posts sit at 19% overall, but for Gen Z, they’re the biggest driver of impulse decisions, at 38%.

For brands targeting younger shoppers, creator partnerships and referral programs turn your existing customers and fans into advocates in a way no ad can do. 

12. Free and easy returns remain the most powerful conversion driver for undecided shoppers (40%)

When someone’s on the fence, 40% of US consumers say free and easy returns would push them over the edge. A discount or incentive follows at 37%, and reviews from other customers at 35%. Scarcity and urgency messaging works for just 17%.

Removing the risk associated with purchases, like offering free returns, can reduce friction and add real value for an undecided shopper. 

What keeps them coming back

13. Product quality dominates loyalty drivers, but loyalty programs are on the rise

70% of US consumers rate having the “best products” as most important for brand loyalty. In second place, a brand’s customer service and loyalty programs tie with 57% of shoppers scoring them as most important.

Product quality is the brand’s job, but loyalty programs sit squarely in the marketer’s control. A well-built loyalty program gives customers a reason to keep choosing you over a competitor with equally good products.

14. Free shipping (52%) and freebies (51%) lead the loyalty reward wishlist 

US consumers know what they want from loyalty programs: 52% want free shipping or returns, 51% want freebies, gifts, or samples, and 46% want birthday and anniversary rewards.

The most-wanted loyalty reward is the same thing that converts undecided shoppers. Reducing friction and adding real value is what customers want at every stage, not just at checkout. If your loyalty program leads with points accumulation but skips the stuff that actually changes behavior, it’s not going to give you the results you need. 

15. 46% of US consumers have spent more with a brand because of its loyalty program

Nearly half of US shoppers have consciously increased their spending to reach a reward tier. That number rises to 65% among full-time workers and 72% among the highest income bracket.

Generationally, Millennials lead at 55%, followed by Gen Z at 51%.

Building a loyalty program that delivers real value doesn’t have to be complicated. The data shows that giving shoppers a genuine reason to come back (like rewards they love) has a direct impact on the bottom line.

What this means for your marketing strategy

A few things stand out across all the data:

• Discovering new brands is a cross-channel experience
• The impact of AI and influencer content is growing quickly, especially among younger shoppers
• Email is the preferred engagement channel across all demographics
• Younger US consumers actively want more personalization and more relevant marketing
• Loyalty programs increase average order value

The demographic gaps in this data are wide. What works for a Gen Z shopper looks very different from what works for a Baby Boomer. Segmentation and personalization help you talk directly to the needs and wants of different audiences. It’s those kinds of personal, relevant messages that really earn the kind of trust that turns customers into advocates.

For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.

We surveyed 1,000 UK consumers as part of our Customer trend index to find out how they discover new brands, which channels they actually want to use, what tips them into buying, and what keeps them loyal. The data doesn’t paint a picture of an audience that’s checked out, but rather of one that’s more selective and more loyal to the brands that get everything right.

Here’s what the findings show across four areas:

• How they find you
• How they want to hear from you
• What gets them to buy
• What keeps them coming back

How they find you

1. New brand discovery is a three-way tie

UK brand discovery doesn’t have a dominant channel. In-store browsing, recommendations from friends and family, and search engines all tied for first place at exactly 37% as shoppers’ preferred channels. Discovery relies almost entirely on shoppers in the moment, making it much harder for UK businesses. 

A single-channel acquisition strategy will leave a significant portion of your potential audience untouched. Brands need to show up consistently across touchpoints so shoppers recognize them wherever discovery happens. 

2. Gen Z is more likely to discover brands in-store than online (42%)

This is probably the finding that will surprise people most. Gen Z leads in-store discovery (42%), beating both Millennials (39%) and Baby Boomers (34%). The assumption that younger consumers live entirely online isn’t holding up, at least when it comes to finding new brands. 

Physical experiences are still where a lot of first impressions happen across all generations. The in-store or in-person experience needs to reflect the same brand identity, messaging, and value proposition that customers encounter online.

3. For Baby Boomers, search is the top discovery channel (41%)

Baby Boomers are the generation most likely to find new brands through search engines. For Gen Z, search sits at 33%.

This flips the usual narrative about Gen Z being more engaged online than Baby Boomers. In the UK, Baby Boomers are more digitally active in their discovery behavior than they’re given credit for, and if you’re not showing up for their queries, you’re invisible to a segment with real spending power before the conversation even starts.

4. Influencers have a genuine impact on nearly one-third of Gen Z shoppers

29% of Gen Z consumers have discovered a new brand through an influencer or creator. That figure drops to 24% for Millennials, 9% for Gen X, and just 3% for Baby Boomers.

If Gen Z is your primary audience, or the market you’re struggling to break into, influencer partnerships belong in your core strategy. And even where shoppers aren’t actively seeking recommendations, exposure alone is compounding, and accidental discovery is still discovery.

5. 32% of UK consumers have discovered a brand through AI in the last six months

Nearly a third of UK shoppers found a new brand or product using AI search in the last six months. For Gen Z, that figure is 53%, and for Millennials it’s 51%.

The overall picture is still split on AI usage. 51% of UK shoppers say they “rarely” or “never” use AI for shopping recommendations, but the generational story is different entirely. Among Gen Z and Millennials, AI-assisted discovery is becoming a mainstream behavior, and both groups are heading into their peak spending years.

The shift means brands need to start thinking beyond traditional search visibility. In AI-led discovery, the goal isn’t just about ranking for keywords, but ensuring your brand is consistently represented in the sources, reviews, and content that AI tools draw from when making recommendations.

How they want to hear from you

6. Email is the clear preference (47%) for brand interaction

47% of UK shoppers prefer email when engaging with brands they follow. Brand website comes second at 35%, in-store at 33%. Every other channel is well behind.

That’s a different picture from other markets. In Australia, in-store is the preferred channel for 54% of shoppers. In Singapore, mobile apps top the list at 45%. The UK is the only market where email clearly leads — and it holds across every generation, with even Gen Z putting it first at 44%.

As the most preferred channel, email should be treated as more than just a distribution channel. It’s where you shape the customer experience itself. When emails are relevant, timely, and genuinely useful, they move customers forward in their relationship with your brand and shape what they do next.

7. Most UK shoppers actually want monthly comms

37% of UK consumers prefer monthly contact from brands. Weekly contact is preferred by 23%. Daily sits at 4%. Younger shoppers have a greater appetite for weekly contact: 26% of Gen Z and 33% of Millennials prefer it, but monthly remains the preference for both groups. For Gen X and Baby Boomers, a lower frequency of contact is favorable. 

This is most useful for shaping the cadence of your broadcast communications, such as newsletters, roundups, and new launches. Between these, audience engagement should be sustained through timely, behavior-led automations triggered by customer actions. This creates a predictable rhythm of regular updates, alongside relevant interventions that appear exactly when they’re needed.

8. 59% say personalized communications feel “just right”, but Gen Z disagrees

Just under two-thirds (59%) of UK shoppers are satisfied with how brands personalize their marketing message. That sounds fine until you look at Gen Z: 36% say brand communications are “not personalized enough”, and only 39% of Gen Z feel communications are right.

This is the generation that skipped over the era of irrelevant batch-and-blast marketing. They understand what good marketing looks like, they’ve been exposed to it online all their lives. Basic personalization (like first names in subject lines) doesn’t cut it anymore.  They expect more. They want brands to really know them, and to be predictive and proactive in their outreach. 

9. Only 16% of shoppers find marketing “very relevant” to them

58% of UK shoppers find brand marketing relevant in some sense, but only 16% find it “very relevant”. The gap between those two things is the difference between a message someone reads and one that actually changes their behavior.

Closing that gap means acting on the signals already available to you, like browsing history, purchase data, and real-time behavioral triggers. Automations built on actions and data don’t just improve relevance; they make sure messages land at the moment a customer is most likely to act on them.

10. Younger shoppers are the most engaged with marketing messages

74% of Millennials and 71% of Gen Z find marketing messages relevant to them, compared to 49% of Gen X and 41% of Baby Boomers. Younger consumers are more receptive to brand communications, but they also hold them to a higher standard. 28% of Gen Z say marketing still doesn’t feel relevant to them.

Getting personalization right for Gen Z and Millennials now, using segmentation, behavioral triggers, and content that meets them where they are, builds relationships that increase lifetime value, as their spending potential continues to grow.

What gets them to buy

11. 41% of UK shoppers mostly make considered purchases

When asked whether they lean toward considered or impulse buying, 41% of UK consumers said they mostly make considered purchases. A further 40% reported an even mix, and only 19% said they mostly buy on impulse.

Most of your audience is taking the time to think things through, weighing options, looking for reassurance, and waiting until they’re certain they want to buy. Product reviews, clear shipping and return policies, and honest FAQs are the kind of content that should be visible across the customer journey to tip undecided shoppers over the line.

12. 34% of considered purchase decisions are taking longer than they used to

Among those already making considered purchases, more than a third (34%) say the time it takes them to reach a decision has grown.

The window between intent and checkout is stretching, which means more chances to lose someone, but also more chances to win them. Automation can do some serious heavy lifting here. Abandoned browse and cart recovery flows aren’t just reminders; they’re a chance to answer any questions they might have before they’re confident enough to make a decision. 

13. 44% of Gen Z are taking longer to decide what to buy

44% of Gen Z report that their considered purchases are taking longer to decide on. 53% of students say the same. These aren’t the groups typically associated with slow, deliberate shopping. They’re the generation that grew up on one-click buying and next-day delivery, but now they’re taking more time to think about how they’re spending their money. 

Every scroll on social, review read, and website visit is shaping their decision long before they’re ready to buy. Automation flows triggered by actions, like repeat product visits or cart abandonment, are where you build the familiarity that makes a Gen Z shopper choose you when it counts.

14. Word of mouth is what tips the impulse buyer (48%)

Nearly half of impulse buyers in the UK (48%) say a recommendation from a friend or family member is what makes them act. Timely emails (like wishlist-pricedrops or browse abandonment) come second at 34%, followed by social ads at 28%.

Even spontaneous purchases need a sprinkle of social proof to get them over the line. The nudge that converts an impulse buyer often isn’t a discount but someone they trust saying, “You’d love this.” Referral programs, user-generated content in retargeting ads, and reviews or star ratings pulled into automated emails all give shoppers the social reinforcement they need to convert. 

15. Free and easy returns are the most effective conversion tool for undecided shoppers

34% of UK consumers say knowing returns are free and easy would tip them into an uncertain purchase, narrowly ahead of discounts and free delivery (32%) and customer reviews (28%).

Reducing perceived risk is a reliable conversion driver. For Baby Boomers, free returns are the top conversion driver at 44%. For Gen Z, it’s more evenly spread, and 25% are also persuaded by personalized website experiences, more than any other generation. But across every age group, answering “what if I don’t like it?” before the shopper even asks is one of the most effective ways to convert someone who’s on the fence.

What keeps them coming back

16. Product quality is still the top loyalty driver(66%)

66% of UK consumers rate having the best products as the most important loyalty factor. Customer service comes second at 52%, tied with friends and family recommendations, followed by loyalty programs at 48%.

Product quality sets the ceiling for everything else, but the other three drivers are where brands have room to actively build. Friends and family recommendations and loyalty programs sit just four points apart, and are more connected than they might appear. A loyalty program built around referrals and social sharing doesn’t just retain existing customers, it activates them. This turns your most loyal customers into a word-of-mouth engine that brings in the next ones.

17. Free shipping and returns lead the loyalty rewards wishlist(43%)

When asked what they want more of from loyalty programs, UK shoppers said: free shipping or returns (43%), freebie products and samples (42%), birthday or anniversary rewards (37%), cashback (33%), and personalized discounts (33%).

The same thing that closes a sale is what keeps customers coming back. Loyalty programs built around complex point tiers that don’t offer rewards people actually want are missing out on experiences that deliver repeat purchases. Birthday and anniversary rewards scored strongly across all generations, and are one of the easiest ways to create a moment that feels personal without complicated reward structures.

18. 37% of UK shoppers have spent more with a brand because of its loyalty program

More than a third of UK consumers have actively increased their spending to reach a loyalty reward. For Gen Z, that’s 57%, and for Millennials it’s 47%. 

Loyalty programs are genuine revenue generators. When the reward is compelling enough, customers don’t just come back; they spend more deliberately to reach the next tier or unlock the next discount. Whether it’s a birthday reward, a personalized discount, or a referral perk, the programs that drive spending are the ones where customers can actually see what they’re working towards.

What this means for your marketing strategy

A few things run through the UK data consistently:

• Discovery is genuinely cross-channel, but preferred channels vary by generation
• Email remains a core engagement channel, but most communications are only “somewhat relevant” to customers
• Considered buying is taking, and that shift is most pronounced in younger shoppers
• Free and easy returns convert undecided shoppers more reliably than discounts alone
• Loyalty programs are driving conversions, especially among Gen Z and Millennials

UK shoppers need to feel confident and trust a brand before they’re ready to convert. Automation, segmentation, and personalization are how you earn the trust that turns a first purchase into a second, and a customer into someone who recommends you to a friend.

For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.

They stand out in a league of their own, painting an entirely different picture of consumer habits and preferences compared to the Western markets. We’ve broken down the findings across four areas:

• How they find you
• How they want to hear from you
• What gets them to buy
• What keeps them coming back

How they find you

1. Five channels battle it out to be Singaporean shoppers’ top brand discovery sources

In-store browsing leads at 51%, followed by friends and family at 49%, search engines at 49%, and brand advertising at 47%. Online marketplaces (like Amazon and Lazada) follow at 42%.

Nine percentage points is all that separates these five channels. More than any other market where two or three channels dominate discovery, Singapore shoppers favor a cross-channel experience that meets their needs in the moment. To show up when and where it matters, your brand experience (from tone of voice to visuals) needs to be consistent across all of them. In a market this connected, having a disjointed experience can cost you sales.

2. Singapore shoppers are discovering brands through AI at twice the rate of the UK

In the last six months alone, 64% of Singapore consumers discovered a new brand through AI search. That’s 23 percentage points higher than American shoppers at 41%, double the number of UK shoppers using AI at 32% and over double the rate of Australian shoppers at 31%.

Singapore shoppers aren’t necessarily turning to AI to find new brands, but they’re finding them there anyway. Which makes it worth asking whether your brand shows up well when they do. Getting your SEO and GEO foundations right now means you’re positioned well for when AI adoption grows further.

3. Influencer content reaches more than two-thirds of the market

68% of Singapore consumers discovered a new brand through influencer content in the last six months. That’s 25 percentage points ahead of the US at 43%, and more than double the UK and Australia, both sitting at 32%.

What also sets Singapore apart from the other regions is how evenly that influence spreads across age groups. In the US, influencer discovery drops from 64% among Gen Z all the way down to 19% for Baby Boomers. In Singapore, it runs from 83% for Gen Z shoppers to 40% fo shoppers aged 60+. 

Creator partnerships here have real reach across the whole market, so picking influencers who align with your audience matters more than follower count. A creator who genuinely connects with your target demographic will do more for your brand than one with a bigger but less relevant audience.

How they want to hear from you

4. Singapore consumers rank mobile apps as their #1 brand engagement channel

45% of Singapore consumers prefer mobile apps for interacting with brands they follow. In the UK, that number is 27%, in Australia, 25%. Even the US, often held up as a mobile-first market, sits at 37%.

Singapore shoppers are always-on consumers: they’re discovering, researching and engaging with brands through their phones in a way that outpaces most Western markets. Email follows closely as Singaporeans’ second-favorite channel at 43%, and brand websites at 41%, but it’s worth noting that in-store comes fourth at 35%. Even for a channel as established as physical retail, digital has pulled ahead. WhatsApp and messaging apps sit at 31% too, higher than in most other markets, reflecting a broader comfort with brands showing up in more personal digital spaces.

In a market this engaged, consistent digital experiences across app, email, and messaging are how you build the kind of familiarity that turns browsers into buyers.

5. Monthly contact is the preference for most shoppers (40%) but Gen Z wants to hear from you weekly

40% of Singapore consumers prefer monthly contact from brands they follow. 33% prefer weekly, and the appetite for daily communication is low at just 6%. Younger shoppers prefer more regular communication, with 36% of Millennials and 31% of Gen Z preferring weekly.

This is most useful for shaping the cadence of your broadcast communications, such as newsletters, roundups, and new launches. Between these, audience engagement should be sustained through timely, behavior-led automations triggered by customer actions. This creates a predictable rhythm of regular updates, alongside relevant interventions that appear exactly when they’re needed.

6. 25% of Singapore consumers feel brand communications aren’t personalized enough

Only 15% find communications too personalized; one of the lowest figures across all markets surveyed, but 25% consider marketing “not personalized enough”. Among Gen Z, the appetite for more personalization rises to 34%, and among Millennials to 28%.

Younger Singaporean consumers are actively looking for more relevant communication from the brands they follow, and they’re not getting it. With concerns about over-personalization sitting this low in this market, there’s clear permission to invest more in timely and relevant marketing. 

7. Only 11% of customers find their marketing messages “very relevant”

Look closer at how Singapore shoppers feel about personalization, and only 11% say the messages they receive are “very relevant” to them in the moment. Read alongside the personalization data above, a picture starts to form. Brands are reaching customers, but the harder part is delivering something that actually resonates.

Relevancy means messages that reflect where a customer actually is: responding to their actions, speaking to their needs in the moment, and connecting with their stage in the journey. That’s what separates a message that lands from one that just arrives.

What gets them to buy

8. Singapore consumers are the happiest to share their email addresses

43% of Singapore consumers are happy to share their email address with a brand, ahead of Australia (36%), the US (35%), and the UK (33%). But they’re also cautious about the data they’re willing to share. 30% will hand over contact data for the right rewards like discounts, loyalty points, or exclusive sale access.

Email is the natural starting point for a customer relationship here. Lead with that, then earn the rest over time through demonstrated value, or a well-timed incentive that makes sharing phone numbers or other data feel worth it.

9. Decision timelines are getting longer for a 33% of Singapore consumers

33% of Singapore consumers say their purchase decisions are taking longer, while 23% say decisions are getting shorter. For Gen Z, that rises to 35% and further still for Millennials, to 38%. 

People are researching more, comparing more, and taking longer to commit, but they are still making the purchase. Offering indecisive shoppers content that supports the research phase matters more as decisions stretch out. Having detailed product information, comparison content, and customer reviews is helping to drive conversions over this longer window. 

10. Word of mouth (49%) and timely emails (47%) are the top triggers for impulse purchases

When Singapore consumers make an unplanned purchase, the thing that pushes them over the line is almost as likely to be a brand email as a recommendation from someone they know. Coming in first place is word of mouth, at 49%, and timely emails (like back-in-stock notifications) follow closely at 47%. 

Across every generation, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers, timely brand emails are a consistent impulse driver. These are triggered, behavior-based emails, like back-in-stock alerts, abandoned browse reminders and flash sale notifications. And with performance relatively even across age groups, you don’t need to segment your trigger logic by generation for it to be effective.

11. Free returns top the conversion driver list for undecided shoppers (47%)

When someone’s not sure about an online purchase, 47% of Singapore consumers say free and easy returns would push them to convert. Discounts and free delivery follow at 44%, and customer reviews at 33%. Where Singapore particularly stands out is product recommendations: 27% say these help them make a decision, compared to just 16% in the UK.

That split tells you something useful. Reducing the risk of a wrong decision matters, but so does helping shoppers find the right one in the first place. Recommendation logic on product pages and in abandoned cart emails is a strong feature that helps to actively close sales.

What keeps them coming back

12. 58% of Singapore consumers say a loyalty program keeps them coming back

The top loyalty drivers in the region are: 

1. Having the best products (73%) 
2. Family & friends rate the products (61%)
3. I rate the brand’s customer service (60%)
4. The brand has a loyalty program (58%)
5. The brand has the cheapest products (58%)

In a market this competitive, a well-built loyalty program can retain just as many customers as a lower price, and gives you a reason to keep them coming back that doesn’t eat into your margins.

13. 47% of Singapore shoppers want personalized discounts from loyalty programs

Singaporeans’ desire for personalized experiences extends all the way to the kind of rewards they want from loyalty programs. 47% want personalized offers as a reward from loyalty schemes — well above the US at 36% and the UK at 33%, and stronger than almost anywhere else we surveyed.

A loyalty program that delivers individual offers based on purchase history and preferences will outperform one that sends the same promotion to everyone.

14. 56% of Singapore consumers have spent more because of a loyalty program

More than half the market (56%) has increased their spending to reach their next reward tier. That makes Singapore one of the most loyalty-responsive markets in the survey. Gen Z leads at 62%, but even Gen X comes in at 45%.

If your program is built around what individual customers actually want, you have a real opportunity to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers who spend more every time they come back. Personalized offers, incentives that reflect purchase history, and rewards that feel earned rather than generic really deliver results in this region.

What this means for your marketing strategy

Singapore stands out in several ways across all areas of the data:

• AI and influencer discovery are further along here than almost anywhere else 
• Mobile-first, messaging-friendly channels are a strong preference
• Personalization is wanted, with younger audiences actively looking for more
• Loyalty programs convert into real spending

The thread running through all of it is relevance. Singapore shoppers are engaged, digitally native, and highly receptive, but they notice when brands aren’t keeping up. Brands that show up in the right channels, with the right message, at the right moment are the ones earning repeat customers, and those customers are bringing their friends along to help spread the love for your brand.

For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.

What’s less obvious is that the same people who are harder to reach are spending more with brands that earn their trust. And they’re more open to AI and digital discovery than most marketers expect.

We surveyed 1,000 Australian consumers for our latest Customer trend index report, to find out how they find new brands, how they want to be contacted, what tips them into buying, and what makes them stick around. The findings break down across four areas:

• How they find you
• How they want to hear from you
• What gets them to buy
• What keeps them coming back

Here’s what every Australian marketer needs to understand right now.

How they find you 

1. In-store browsing is still the number one discovery channel (60%)

60% of Australian shoppers discover new brands by browsing in-store. It’s the top discovery channel across every income bracket and most age groups. Physical retail isn’t dead; it’s still where the majority of first impressions happen. 

If you’re a brand with a retail footprint, your in-store experience is a marketing channel. If you’re digital-only, it’s important to remember your competition isn’t just another website; it’s also the shop floor.

2. Word of mouth comes in a very close second (56%)

Friends and family are the second-most-influential brand discovery source overall. For Gen Z, word of mouth actually beats in-store browsing entirely (62% vs 49%). Peer recommendations are outpacing paid media among younger consumers because the channel is informal, but the influence it has is real. 

If you want significant growth with Gen Z and Millennial audiences, referral programs and shareable experiences are a big opportunity. Make sure you build them deliberately and not as an afterthought.

3. Search engines matter most for Gen X (57%)

Gen X relies on search engines more than any other generation to discover new brands (57%). Millennials aren’t far behind at 51%, and even Baby Boomers come in at 45%. 

If you’re not showing up in search for Gen X queries, you’re invisible to more than half of that cohort before the conversation even starts. Despite the disruption caused by AI, SEO is still a necessity for brands wanting to be discovered organically. 

4. Influencers are essential for connecting with Gen Z (45%)

Nearly half of Gen Z consumers (45%) say they discover brands through influencers or creators. That drops to 33% for Millennials, 19% for Gen X and just 4% for Baby Boomers. Gen Z shopping trends are driven by creators in a way that simply doesn’t apply to older generations. 

The gap between Gen Z and Baby Boomers here (a 41 percentage point difference) is one of the starkest generational splits in the data. Influencer budget should reflect where it converts. If your audience skews under 45, creator partnerships belong in your core strategy, not your experimental budget.

5. AI shopping assistants are gaining ground, especially with younger consumers

11% of Australian customers say they use AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini to discover new brands. That number climbs to 18% for Gen Z and 16% for Millennials. 

Among frequent AI shopping users (those who use it “often” or “always”), Gen Z leads at 42%, and Millennials aren’t far behind at 35%. Just 5% of Baby Boomers fall into that category.

AI as a discovery channel is still early-stage overall, but it’s already the default for a significant slice of Gen Z. Optimizing for AI discoverability is a different discipline from SEO, and the window to get ahead of it is now, while the field is still relatively open.

6. 31% of Australian consumers have discovered a new brand via AI in the last 6 months

Almost a third of the market has already used AI to discover a brand. For Gen Z, that number is 56%. For Millennials, 52%. As Gen Z and Millennials age into their peak spending years, AI-assisted discovery is only going to grow as a customer behavior trend. 

Brands that start building their AI presence now through structured data, review volume, and content that answers specific questions will have an advantage in the future.

How they want to hear from you

7. In-store (54%), email (47%), and the brand websites (46%) are shoppers’ preferred contact channels

When it comes to engaging with brands they already follow, Australian shoppers consistently rank in-store first, then email, then the brand website. 

Email holds its ground as a core engagement channel across every demographic. It’s one of your most direct ways to communicate with your audience, so if the channel isn’t working the way you expect, you may need to examine what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. 

8. Mobile apps matter most to Gen Z and students

While overall mobile apps are the channel of choice for 25% of customers, that jumps to 44% for Gen Z and 50% for students. For younger consumers, the app isn’t just about convenience; it’s often their primary relationship with a brand. The experience inside it shapes whether they stay or go. 

If your audience skews younger, your app experience might be a major differentiator. A clunky app can frustrate people until you lose them to a competitor whose app works better.

9. Most Australian consumers want to hear from you weekly or monthly

34% of Australians prefer weekly contact from brands they follow. Another 34% prefer monthly. Gen Z is the most receptive to frequent contact, with 45% happy to hear from brands weekly. Baby Boomers want a slower pace, preferring monthly contact (34%), and they show the lowest appetite for daily emails (1%). 

Generational segmentation and varying send frequency alone are quick, high-impact changes you can make to improve email performance.

10. 67% of Australians say brand communications feel “just right”

Most Australian customers aren’t feeling overwhelmed or underserved by brands’ personalization efforts. But among those who do want more personalization, Gen Z (27%) and Millennials (24%) are most likely to feel like communications miss the mark. Students (30%) and unemployed consumers (28%) are also underserved. 

For the segments most likely to become long-term customers, Gen Z and Millennials, the miss rate is meaningfully higher. If your highest-growth audience segments feel like your marketing doesn’t speak to them, that’s a retention problem waiting to happen.

11. Only 12% find marketing messages“very relevant” to them

The gap between “somewhat relevant” and “very relevant” is the personalization opportunity hiding in plain sight. Most brand communications land somewhere in the “somewhat relevant” category, with only 12% fo customers feeling like brand messages are “very relevant”. The difference between them is whether you’re giving someone what they need in the moment, like a price drop on something they’ve been browsing, or a recommendation that actually fits. 

To build strong relationships that result in repeat purchases, you need to respond to give customers what they need, before they think to look for it. 

What gets them to buy

12. Australians are considered buyers, not impulse buyers (49% vs. 13%)

Nearly half (49%) of Australian consumers describe most of their purchases as considered, while they just say their buying behavior is impulse-led.  Impulse-led shopping is notably higher in the US (23%), the UK (19%), and Singapore (15%). Australians are also more likely to identify as considered buyers than consumers in the US (43%) and UK (41%).

This means shoppers here are taking their time. They’re comparing, reading reviews, and thinking it through. Long-form comparison content, detailed product pages, and genuinely useful reviews are driving real conversions. If your content strategy is built around impulse triggers, it’s no longer matching how most Australians actually make purchase decisions.

13. For impulse buys, friends and family recommendations drive conversion (50%)

Half of all impulse buyers say a recommendation from friends or family is what tips them over the edge. Timely emails (38%) and social ads (34%) follow closely behind. SMS is notably effective, especially for Gen Z, at 37%, while influencer posts also help to convert 37% of Gen Z impulse shoppers. 

Even impulse purchases aren’t entirely random; for Australian shoppers, they’re often socially triggered. So while only 13% of shoppers mostly make impulse purchases, you can still trigger spontaneous decisions with a timely, automated email or an SMS at the right moment to close the gap between browsing and buying.

14. Free and easy returns are the number one conversion driver for undecided shoppers (43%)

When someone’s on the fence, free and easy returns are the most powerful push for 43% of Australian shoppers. A discount or free delivery is close behind at 39%. Customer reviews follow at 36%. Post-purchase loyalty rewards come in fourth at 25%.

Scarcity and urgency messaging (like “selling fast” or “last one in stock”) only works for 16% of all consumers, but climbs to 26% for Gen Z and 24% for Millennials, so use it selectively.

Removing perceived risks that come with online shopping converts more Australians than price cuts. People want the reassurance that, if it doesn’t work out, the return process won’t be painful. If your returns policy is buried in the footer and your product pages lead with countdown timers, you may be using the wrong conversion tool. Make your returns policy visible, clear, and simple, as it’s doing more to drive conversions than most brands give it credit for.

What keeps them coming back

15. 72% of shoppers rate product quality as the loyalty driver

72% of Australians rate having the best products as the most important loyalty driver. Customer service is a close second at 54% and is tied with friends and family recommendations. Loyalty programs come in third, with 51% calling them an essential reason to return.

Product quality is the foundation of customer loyalty, but customer service and loyalty programs are what brands can actively build on top of it. Two of the top three loyalty drivers are squarely in a marketer’s control. Timely, well-automated customer service communications like order updates, post-purchase check-ins, and proactive responses go a long way toward creating experiences that last with customers. And with loyalty programs influencing half of all Australian shoppers’ decisions to return, having a scheme in place goes a long way towards driving repeat purchases.

16. Free shipping and returns tops the loyalty reward wishlist (58%)

When it comes to what customers actually want from loyalty programs, the answers are practical:

1. Free shipping or returns (58%)
2. Freebies, gifts, and samples (50%)
   Birthday and anniversary rewards (50%)
3. Cashback (49%)

The most-wanted loyalty reward is the same thing that converts undecided shoppers. Australians want the friction of cost and returns removed, and they’ll stay loyal to brands that do it consistently. Loyalty programs that lead with points and tiers but don’t address shipping and returns may offer rewards that customers don’t find compelling enough to convert.

17. 41% of Australians have spent more with a brand because of its loyalty program

For Gen Z, that figure hits 69%, and Millennials come in at 57%. Higher-income households (58% for those earning above $90,451) are also more likely to increase spending in pursuit of the next reward tier.

Last year’s customer survey for the Loyalty divide found that only 8% of consumers globally said they’d spent more because of a loyalty program. Australian shoppers are clearly genuinely responsive to loyalty programs and are willing to spend more if the rewards are right. Loyalty programs don’t have to be complicated. Think about what you can offer customers at the right moments: rewards for repeat purchases, perks that feel personal, reasons to come back that go beyond a discount code. 

How does this impact your marketing strategy?

A few things stand out in the data:

• Discovery is cross-channel, but digital is growing fast in younger cohorts
• Email remains a core engagement channel across all demographics
• Personalization is expected but rarely delivered to a “very relevant” standard
• Loyalty programs have a real commercial impact
• The path to conversion for most Australians runs through considered decision-making, not impulse.

It’s time to stop trying to talk to everyone in the same way, at the same time, with the same message. Segmentation and personalization will help you earn the trust you need to make a sale. And it’s trusting your brand that makes customers more likely to share and recommend you in the future. 

For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.

We surveyed 4,000 people across Australia, Singapore, the UK, and the US to find out how they shop, how they discover brands, and what actually drives buying decisions. The findings provide a fresh perspective on where customer habits are heading and where your strategy needs to go too. 

Here’s a taste of what’s coming.

AI and search

Only 16% of shoppers use AI to discover new brands

Everyone’s talking about AI. And yes, it’s changing things. But when you look at how consumers use it day-to-day, the picture is more nuanced than the hype suggests.

Dotdigital data shows that AI adoption in shopping and brand discovery is still in its early stages, and some markets are further ahead than others. Some demographics are leaning in harder, too, while others aren’t interested at all.

Before you rethink your entire acquisition strategy around AI, it’s worth understanding where your customers actually are in their AI journey. Dotdigital’s Customer trend index breaks it all down and gives you clear steps to follow to prepare for the impact of AI on brand discovery.

Trust and discovery

Friends and family are 45% more influential in brand discovery than they were a year ago

Channels like paid media, social ads and influencer partnerships aren’t going anywhere, but something interesting is happening alongside them. Word of mouth as a discovery channel is back, and its importance is growing fast.

Consumers are trusting the people they know more than ever when it comes to finding new brands. That’s a shift with real implications for how you think about customer acquisition, your loyalty strategy, and the overall customer experience you’re creating. You now need to consider how you can create experiences customers want to share, and how to make it easier and more rewarding to spread the word about your brand.

The Dotdigital consumer trend index goes beyond word of mouth alone, looking at the full picture of how people are finding brands and why some of the biggest shifts (like the rapid growth of word of mouth) are happening outside of traditional marketing channels.

Data and channels

93% of shoppers say daily brand messages are too much

If you’re hitting your customers’ inboxes every single day, our data tells us how they feel about it – and it’s not good. Daily marketing messages clogging inboxes are a big turn-off for customers, especially those who want more control and relevant messaging from their favorite brands. 

In the new report, we dig into how often customers want to be contacted, what data they’re comfortable sharing with brands, and on which channels consumers actually want to hear from brands.  Getting this right is the first step towards delivering marketing messages that get opened every time. 

Buying behavior

Only 17% of shoppers describe themselves as impulse buyers

Most of your customers are considered buyers. They take their time, do their research, and don’t part with their money until they feel good about the decision they’re making.  This means the path to purchase is more layered than a quick-hit, batch-and-blast campaign.

But our customer survey revealed that even the shoppers who do buy on impulse aren’t acting on pure desire in the moment. There’s still something that tips them over the edge, like a friend’s recommendation or a timely email push. The Customer trend index proves what actually moves people from browsing to buying, no matter what kind of shopper they are.

Personalization

Just 15% of consumers say brand messages feel “very relevant” to them

Marketers are putting serious time and budget into personalization. And with the rapid growth of AI features in marketing platforms, marketers now have more personalization tools at their disposal, so why are relevance scores dropping year on year? (2025: 23% vs. 15% in 2026)

The gap isn’t because brands are failing to do the basics. What consumers are saying is that they want something more than just a first-name greeting; they want to feel like a brand actually gets them. That means showing up with the right message at the right moment, not just with the right name in the subject line. The Customer trend index explores where that gap is coming from, and steps you can take to close it.

Loyalty

Friends and family recommendations have jumped from 6th to 3rd place as a loyalty driver

Loyalty programs are still doing their job and more than half of consumers say they improve their relationship with a brand. But what keeps people coming back has shifted, and the biggest mover up the rankings is friends and family recommendations.

The customers who feel genuinely looked after are the ones who spread the word about your brand. And when their friends hear that recommendation, they’re more likely to become loyal customers themselves. Word of mouth isn’t a new idea, but the data makes clear it’s now a serious driver of long-term retention.

Covering the full loyalty picture from what consumers want from programs to what’s actually driving retention, the Customer trend index reveals what you can do to strengthen customer relationships and keep them coming back.

The full report has it all

These stats are just a sweet little taster. The Customer trend index goes deeper into each of these themes, with regional breakdowns, generational splits, and action plans to help you put the data to work straight away.

In this blog, we’re sharing these benchmarks for the Americas region with comparisons to the global average, noting where the Americas is leading globally, and identifying the year-on-year trends that marketers need to pay attention to.

Email marketing benchmarks in the Americas

Email is a key marketing channel for many brands, and the channel is not slowing down. Sends were up year-on-year, and the channel continues to be an audience favorite with 60% of consumers citing email as their preferred communication channel.

The average email open rates in the Americas

What is a good open rate in the Americas?

The Americas region saw strong open rates this year and earned the title of best open rate and unique open rate globally.

The Americas’ average open rate is 3.4% higher than the global average open rate of 55.4%. For unique opens, the Americas is again beating the global average of 37.7% with a unique open rate of 40.8%.

The Americas also outperformed the global average in year-on-year open rate growth. Open rates in the region increased by 7.1% year-on-year, compared with the global average growth rate of 6.5%. Unique opens also grew faster, rising 8.2% year-on-year versus 7.2% year-on-year growth globally.

These numbers prove that email is still an incredibly powerful channel for getting your message in front of your customers, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

As with any benchmark, use these as a guide, and always compare against your own results, aiming for a steady improvement over time as you optimize your email marketing strategy.

Email open rate benchmarks for the Americas:

• Open rate: 58.8%
• Unique open rate: 40.08%

How are open rates calculated?

• Open rate = (Total number of opened emails ÷ total number of emails delivered) × 100
• Unique open rate = (Number of unique recipients who opened the email ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100

The average email click rates in the Americas

What is a good email click rate in the Americas?

Click rates in the Americas saw a mixed picture when looking at year-on-year trends. Overall clicks saw an increase of 9.4% growth year-on-year, but both unique click-through rate and click-to-open rate were down. This shows that audiences are overall less motivated to click through from an email campaign.

Marketers to audiences in the Americas should be using other channels to bridge this gap in clicks. Mobile marketing offers a great solution, as the SMS click-through rate for the Americas region is 22.2%, which is nine times higher than email.

The Americas click metric benchmarks:

• Click-through rate (CTR): 2.5%
• Unique click-through rate: 1.2%
• Click-to-open rate (CTOR): 2.8%

How are click rates calculated?

• Click-through rate = (total number of clicks ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100
• Unique click-through rate = (number of unique recipients who clicked at least one link ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100
• Click-to-open rate = (total number of clicks ÷ total number of opened emails) × 100

Email delivery metrics for the Americas

Why is email deliverability important?

Email delivery is one of the most important metrics, because even the most optimized campaigns won’t perform if they don’t get all the way into the inbox. Dotdigital’s Deliverability Consulting Lead, Lisa Dixon, shares the best ways to boost delivery and explains the crucial, and often misunderstood, difference between delivery and deliverability in this blog.

What is a good email delivery rate for the Americas?

A good delivery rate is generally considered to be 97% or higher. Dotdigital customers in the Americas region are seeing an especially strong delivery rate of 99.4%. At Dotdigital, we focus on compliance and building customer trust to keep all of our senders in good standing, maximizing deliverability and customer reach.

What is a good email bounce rate for the Americas?

Email delivery and bounce rates for the Americas are:

• Soft bounce rate: 0.56%
• Hard bounce rate: 0.04%
• Bounce rate: 0.06%
• Delivery rate: 99.4%

How are bounce rates calculated?

• Soft bounce rate = (Number of soft bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Hard bounce rate = (Number of hard bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Bounce rate = (Number of overall bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Delivery rate = (Number of emails sent ÷ number of delivered emails) x 100

The Americas is the lowest region for bounce rates, which is a great achievement, but the gap is reducing as the Americas is the only region to see an increase in bounce rates year-on-year.

To keep bounce rates low, focus on list hygiene, acquiring contacts that are of good quality, and ensure you’re sending content people want (so you don’t get marked as spam).

The average email unsubscribe rate for the Americas

What is a good email unsubscribe rate in the Americas?

The global average is 0.14%, and the Americas (and the APAC region) has a lower unsubscribe rate of 0.12%.

Unsubscribes are to be expected, and a low level shows that your email list is happy with the content you’re sending.

Making unsubscribing easy is both the law and best practice; a clear and easy-to-action unsubscribe link will positively impact deliverability and inbox placement. This is because customers can easily unsubscribe if they want to, rather than flagging your emails as spam, which would impact future reach.

Get tips for boosting email list growth in the full 2026 Global benchmark report.

Mobile marketing benchmarks in the Americas

As we all spend more and more time on our phones, mobile channels offer a great channel direct to your audience’s hands. SMS messages are perfect for timely updates, flash promotions, and reminders that prompt instant action.

SMS click rates in the Americas

What is a good SMS click rate in the Americas?

SMS is seeing real success for driving clicks, offering marketers a much higher click-through rate than email. Smartphone screen time is high, with the average screen time sitting at 4.8 hours per day; so it’s no surprise that mobile-first marketing channels are seeing high engagement.

Average SMS click rates for the Americas:

• Click-through rate: 22.2%
• Unique click-through rate: 18.8%

SMS unsubscribe in the Americas

What is a healthy SMS unsubscribe rate in the Americas?

SMS is a great channel for driving action, but it’s also more intrusive than email. It’s important to always obey quiet hours laws for SMS, and to monitor frequency and quality of your SMS campaigns.

Quiet hours vary by region and define when you’re legally prohibited from sending marketing SMS messages; this is often overnight. Always check local regulations for your customers’ locations, schedule campaigns for compliant, optimal times, and apply these exclusions to automated SMS programs as well.

A healthy SMS unsubscribe rate is anything below 1%.

SMS average unsubscribe rate for the Americas is:

• Unsubscribe rate: 0.53%

Get tips on SMS marketing, including what to be aware of in the full 2026 Global benchmark report.

Email and mobile marketing benchmarks for the Americas in 2026

Email is still a key channel for marketers to communicate with their customers and drive action. The healthy engagement rates shown by Dotdigital customers prove that targeted, personalized, and relevant marketing campaigns see real results.

To complement email, SMS is a huge opportunity for driving clicks, and marketers in the Americas are already seeing very encouraging click-through rates from the channel.

Get more insights, advice, and industry-specific benchmarks in the 2026 Global benchmark report.

Email marketing benchmarks in EMEA

Email sends were up year-on-year, and the channel continues to be an audience favorite with 60% of customers citing email as their preferred communication channel. With an increase in sends, let’s see how that impacted engagement.

The average email open rates in EMEA

What is a good open rate in EMEA?

The EMEA region saw strong open rates this year, coming in just above the global average at 56.3%, compared to 55.4%. For unique opens, EMEA is ever-so-slightly behind the global average at 37% compared to the global benchmark of 37.3%.

These numbers prove that email is still an incredibly powerful channel for getting your message in front of your customers.

Use these benchmarks as a guide to see what’s possible and aim to hit or exceed them. Most importantly, always compare against your own results, aiming for a steady improvement over time as you optimize your email marketing strategy.

Email open rate benchmarks for EMEA:

• Open rate: 56.3%
• Unique open rate: 37%

How are open rates calculated?

• Open rate = (Total number of opened emails ÷ total number of emails delivered) × 100
• Unique open rate = (Number of unique recipients who opened the email ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100

The average email click rates in EMEA

What is a good email click rate in EMEA?

Good news for EMEA marketers, the EMEA region beats the global average in all three core click metrics. This proves customers in this region are engaged with email marketing, and the channel is a valuable action driver.

EMEA click metric benchmarks:

• Click-through rate (CTR): EMEA benchmark is 4.4%, versus the global average of 3.7%
• Unique click-through rate: EMEA benchmark is 1.5% versus the global average of 1.4%
• Click-to-open rate (CTOR): EMEA benchmark is 4.1% versus the global average of 3.7%

How are click rates calculated?

• Click-through rate = (total number of clicks ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100
• Unique click-through rate = (number of unique recipients who clicked at least one link ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100
• Click-to-open rate = (total number of clicks ÷ total number of opened emails) × 100

Email delivery metrics for EMEA

Why is email deliverability important?

Email delivery is one of the most important metrics there is, because even the best campaigns won’t perform if they don’t reach the inbox. Dotdigital’s Deliverability Consulting Lead, Lisa Dixon, shares the best ways to boost delivery and explains the crucial, and often misunderstood, difference between delivery and deliverability in this blog.

What is a good email delivery rate for EMEA?

A good delivery rate is generally considered to be 97% or higher. Dotdigital customers in the EMEA region are seeing an especially strong delivery rate of over 99%. Dotdigital’s focus on compliance and customer trust helps keep all of our senders in good standing, maximizing deliverability and customer reach.

What is a good email bounce rate for EMEA?

Email delivery and bounce rates for EMEA are:

• Soft bounce rate: 0.79%
• Hard bounce rate: 0.06%
• Bounce rate: 0.84%
• Delivery rate: 99.16%

How are bounce rates calculated?

• Soft bounce rate = (Number of soft bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Hard bounce rate = (Number of hard bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Bounce rate = (Number of overall bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Delivery rate = (Number of emails sent ÷ number of delivered emails) x 100

The average email unsubscribe rate for EMEA

What is a good email unsubscribe rate in EMEA?

The average email unsubscribe rate for EMEA is 0.15%. The EMEA region sees the highest unsubscribe rate globally. The global average is 0.14%, and both the APAC and Americas regions see an unsubscribe rate of 0.12%.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Unsubscribes are to be expected, and a low level shows that your email list is happy with the content you’re sending.

Making unsubscribing easy is both the law and best practice, because a clear and easy-to-action unsubscribe link will help with overall deliverability and inbox placement. This is because customers can easily unsubscribe, rather than flagging your emails as spam, which would impact future reach.

Get tips for boosting email list growth in the full 2026 Global benchmark report.

Mobile marketing benchmarks in EMEA

Mobile marketing channels are short, sharp, and designed to drive clicks. With messages landing directly in the palm of a customer’s hand, they’re almost impossible to ignore. They’re perfect for timely updates, flash promotions, and reminders that prompt instant action.

SMS click rates in EMEA

What is a good SMS click rate in EMEA?

SMS is seeing real success for driving clicks, offering marketers a much higher click-through rate than email. Smartphone screen time is high, with the average screen time sitting at 4.8 hours per day; it’s no surprise that mobile-first marketing channels are seeing high engagement.

Average SMS click rates for EMEA:

• Click-through rate: 23.4%
• Unique click-through rate: 19.4%

SMS unsubscribes in EMEA

What is a healthy SMS unsubscribe rate in EMEA?

SMS is a great channel for driving action, but it’s also more intrusive than email. It’s important to always obey quiet hours laws for SMS, and to monitor frequency and quality of your SMS campaigns.

Quiet hours vary by region and define when you’re legally prohibited from sending marketing SMS messages; this is often overnight. Always check local regulations for your customers’ locations, schedule campaigns for compliant, optimal times, and apply these exclusions to automated SMS programs as well.

A healthy SMS unsubscribe rate is anything below 1%.

SMS average unsubscribe rate for EMEA is:

• Unsubscribe rate: 0.2%

The EMEA region sees the lowest SMS unsubscribe rate globally. The global unsubscribe rate is 0.43%, the APAC region average is 0.71%, and the Americas region sees an average of 0.53%.

This is a good sign that marketers in the EMEA region are following SMS marketing best practices and keeping subscribers happy.

Get tips on SMS marketing, including what to be aware of in the full 2026 Global benchmark report.

Email and mobile marketing benchmarks for EMEA in 2026

Email is still a key channel for marketers to communicate with their customers and drive action. The healthy engagement rates shown by Dotdigital customers prove that targeted, personalized, and relevant marketing campaigns see real results.

When we look at mobile marketing, SMS is driving a huge number of clicks, and unsubscribe rates in the EMEA region are the lowest all around the globe. So EMEA marketers are doing a great job at leveraging the channel to drive clicks while also keeping their audience happy.

Get more insights, advice, and industry-specific benchmarks in the 2026 Global benchmark report.

In this blog, we’re focusing on APAC, offering comparisons to the global average, highlighting where APAC is leading globally, and spotting the year-on-year trends that marketers need to pay attention to.

Email marketing benchmarks in APAC

Email sends are up year on year, with the APAC region leading the charge. There has been a 44.1% increase in email sends among Dotdigital customers in the APAC region. Lots of things have changed in marketing over the last year, and marketers are investing more in the channel they trust.

Email also continues to be an audience favorite, with 60% of customers citing it as their preferred communication channel. With an increase in sends, let’s see how that has impacted engagement.

Use these benchmarks as a guide to see what’s possible and aim to hit or exceed them. Most importantly, always compare against your own results, aiming for a steady improvement over time as you optimize your email marketing strategy.

The average email open rates in APAC

What is a good open rate in APAC?

APAC trails the global average for open rates but is narrowing the gap with above-average growth.

Email open rate benchmarks for APAC:

• Open rate: 47.6%, up 11.8% year-on-year
• Unique open rate: 34.5%, up 12.9% year-on-year

Global open rate benchmarks:

• Open rate: 55.4%, up 6.5% year-on-year
• Unique open rate: 37.3%, up 7.2% year-on-year

How are open rates calculated?

• Open rate = (Total number of opened emails ÷ total number of emails delivered) × 100
• Unique open rate = (Number of unique recipients who opened the email ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100

The average email click rates in APAC

What is a good email click rate in APAC?

The APAC region saw declines year-on-year in all click metrics and was the only region to experience this. There’s no need to panic, but check out these tips on boosting clicks from Dotdigital’s Email Marketing strategist, Brianna Martinez.

APAC click metric benchmarks:

• Click-through rate (CTR): 1.8%, a decrease of 5.6% year-on-year
• Unique click-through rate: 1%, a decrease of 7.92% year-on-year
• Click-to-open rate (CTOR): 2.8%, a decrease of 18.5% year-on-year

How are click rates calculated?

• Click-through rate = (total number of clicks ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100
• Unique click-through rate = (number of unique recipients who clicked at least one link ÷ total number of delivered emails) × 100
• Click-to-open rate = (total number of clicks ÷ total number of opened emails) × 100

Email delivery metrics for APAC

Why is email deliverability important?

Even the best campaigns won’t perform if they don’t reach the inbox. Dotdigital’s Deliverability Consulting Lead, Lisa Dixon, shares the best ways to boost delivery and explains the crucial, and often misunderstood, difference between delivery and deliverability in this blog.

What is a good email delivery rate for APAC?

A good delivery rate is generally considered to be 97% or higher. Dotdigital customers in the APAC region are seeing an especially strong delivery rate of over 99%.

What is a good email bounce rate for APAC?

The APAC region sees lower bounce rates than the global average and the biggest year-on-year decline too, proving the region is continuing in the right direction.

Email bounce rates for APAC:

• Soft bounce rate: 0.71%, versus the global average of 0.74%
• Hard bounce rate: 0.04%, versus the global average of 0.05%
• Bounce rate: 0.75%, versus the global average of 0.79%

How are bounce rates calculated?

• Soft bounce rate = (Number of soft bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Hard bounce rate = (Number of hard bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Bounce rate = (Number of overall bounces ÷ number of emails sent) x 100
• Delivery rate = (Number of emails sent ÷ number of delivered emails) x 100

The average email unsubscribe rate for APAC

What is a good email unsubscribe rate in APAC?

APAC has the joint lowest email unsubscribe rate with the Americas at 0.12%, that’s 2% lower than the global average of 0.14%.

Unsubscribes are a natural part of email marketing, and low unsubscribe rates indicate that your audience values your content. Making it easy to unsubscribe is both a legal requirement and a best practice, as a clear, accessible unsubscribe link supports deliverability and inbox placement. It allows recipients to opt out easily rather than marking emails as spam, which can harm future reach.

As well as keeping unsubscribes low, quality list acquisition is an important part of any good email marketing strategy. Get tips for boosting email list growth in the full 2026 Global benchmark report.

Mobile marketing benchmarks in APAC

Mobile marketing channels are built for speed and immediacy, encouraging quick engagement. Delivered straight to a customer’s device, these messages naturally command attention, making them ideal for time-sensitive updates, limited-time offers, and reminders that drive fast action.

SMS click rates in APAC

What is a good SMS click rate in APAC?

The APAC region sees the highest SMS click rates globally at 32.4% compared to the global average click-through rate of 25.7%. This means that in APAC, SMS gets a click-through rate 18 times higher than email.

The average smartphone screen time is 4.8 hours per day, so it’s no surprise that mobile-first marketing channels are seeing such high engagement.

Average SMS click rates for APAC:

• Click-through rate: 32.4%
• Unique click-through rate: 21.6%

SMS unsubscribe in APAC

APAC has the highest unsubscribe rate of all regions at 0.71%, but a healthy unsubscribe rate is anything below 1%, so this isn’t a cause for concern.

Get tips for SMS marketing in the full Global benchmark report.

What is a healthy SMS unsubscribe rate in APAC?

SMS is highly effective at prompting action, but it’s more intrusive than email. To use it responsibly, marketers should comply with quiet hours regulations and carefully manage both the frequency and quality of SMS campaigns.

Quiet hours vary by region and define when you’re legally prohibited from sending marketing SMS messages; this is often overnight. Always check local regulations for your customers’ locations, schedule campaigns for compliant, optimal times, and apply these exclusions to automated SMS programs as well.

SMS average unsubscribe rate for APAC is:

• Unsubscribe rate: 0.71%

Email and mobile marketing benchmarks for APAC in 2026

Email remains a vital channel for marketers looking to engage customers and drive action. Strong engagement rates among Dotdigital customers show that targeted, personalised, and relevant campaigns deliver tangible results.

In mobile marketing, SMS continues to generate high click volumes, with APAC marketers seeing the highest SMS click rates globally. This suggests that marketers in the region are using the channel effectively to drive engagement and action.

Discover more insights, practical guidance, and industry-specific benchmarks in the 2026 Global benchmark report.