Every Men’s World Cup arrives with familiar conversations about favourites, form, and whether England's men might finally bring it home. Yet when we asked a nationally representative sample of 1,000 UK adults about the upcoming tournament, the most interesting story wasn't really about football at all. 

Online reviews remain an important source of information for consumers. Our latest research shows that 95% use reviews when making a purchase or choosing a service, while 84% consider them an important part of the decision-making process. Among under-55s, that rises to 92%. 

But while reviews remain influential, consumers are becoming more sceptical about what they read. Increasingly, they are looking beyond ratings alone and paying closer attention to how brands respond to and act on feedback. 

The UK’s relationship with alcohol is changing in ways that are gradual but fundamental. What we are seeing is not a short-term reaction to initiatives like Dry January, but a deeper behavioural shift shaped by cost-of-living pressures, a growing focus on health and wellbeing, and evolving social norms. 

Over two in five UK adults (41%) say they are drinking less than they were two to three years ago, compared to 17% who report drinking more, yet this is not a story of disengagement. Nearly half (49%) still drink weekly or more, and 73% have consumed full-strength alcohol in the past six months, pointing to a market that remains active but is being approached with greater intention. 

There’s a tendency to talk about food waste and the cost of living as two separate pressures shaping consumer behaviour. One is framed as moral, the other financial. But the reality, as our latest data shows, is far simpler and more powerful than that. For most UK households, these pressures have fused into one. 

Today, 96% of consumers have adopted at least one cost or waste cutting behaviour, and 82% say they are consciously trying to reduce food waste. Crucially, this is translating into action, with 63% saying they throw away less food than two years ago. This is starting to look less like a temporary response and more like the new normal. 

Financial services is a sector balancing rapid digital change with very human expectations. For years, the industry has focused heavily on digital transformation. Faster journeys, smarter tools, AI-powered support and seamless experiences have become the benchmark for progress. In many ways, consumers have embraced that evolution.

Our latest research at The Harris Poll UK shows digital financial services are now firmly embedded into everyday life. Around 6 in 10 consumers now use mobile wallets regularly, with 30% saying they have become their default payment method. Quick payments, easy day-to-day banking and convenience are now among the strongest-performing aspects of the category, particularly amongst younger consumers who increasingly see digital-first money management as the norm rather than the exception.

We’re buying more online than ever before. Retailers have spent years optimising the online checkout journey, but for many customers the real moment of truth comes after they click “buy”. Customers expect to receive their items quickly and efficiently, but in many cases, this isn’t happening.

Delivery issues are commonplace, with over half (58%) of UK consumers who’ve received a delivery in the last six months experiencing a problem. Clothing and/or footwear (43%) and grocery (30%) were the sectors where consumers were most likely to report delivery problems.

Outsourcing fulfilment to courier companies is now standard practice. Just 9% of deliveries are made by retailers’ own delivery teams, many of these in the grocery sector. However, even where fulfilment is outsourced, poor delivery experiences can still have significant consequences for retailers.

The relationship between UK shoppers and brands is not breaking down. In many ways, it remains intact. What is changing is the role brands play in everyday decision-making. The shift is not that brands have got weaker. What has changed is how competitive own-label has become. Consumers still value brands but rely on them less. 

Our latest research at The Harris Poll UK, based on a nationally representative sample of 1,000 grocery shoppers, shows that brand perception is still positive. 64% of consumers believe branded products are higher quality, 59% see them as more consistent, and 57% say they taste better. These are not weak numbers. But they are no longer decisive.

The UK is in a period of reassessment when it comes to protecting childhood. From legislation that tightens mobile phone restrictions in schools to renewed efforts to reduce high‑sugar and deep-fried foods in the canteen, public opinion is increasingly aligned around the need for intervention. The growing visibility of movements like ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’, recently explored by the BBC, also points to a broader cultural shift in attitudes towards children’s smartphone use. The question for many people is no longer whether children’s relationships with technology and healthy eating need addressing, but whether enough is being done at a pace that will change course for the next group of school starters. 

As many of us head to the polls tomorrow for local elections in parts of England, and the elections to the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, it’s likely that the NHS will be in the forefront of many voters’ minds. When asked what areas they are most concerned about right now, the NHS was the third most selected topic by consumers (15% rating it the issue they were most concerned about) coming behind cost-of-living (22%) and immigration / asylum (18%). When looking at the proportion ranking these areas in their top three concerns, the NHS rises to second place (40%) behind only cost-of-living (51%). 

But this is not just another election where the NHS features as a key issue. Increasingly, it is something voters are experiencing directly in their day-to-day lives, which is changing how it is judged. 

So, what is driving this concern, and what options are consumers most open to in supporting the improvements they clearly feel are needed? 

Loyalty has become a crowded and engineered element of retail. Most major retailers now offer some form of rewards ecosystem, yet many consumers remain underwhelmed, unconvinced, or simply disengaged. The assumption has often been that the answer lies in building richer programmes, adding more perks, or increasing personalisation. But our latest research at The Harris Poll UK suggests something different.

In fact, we are already seeing leading retailers move in this direction. The April 2026 relaunch of Sparks by Marks & Spencer is a timely example. The revamped proposition shifts toward ‘pounds, not points’, introduces a digital Sparks wallet, places greater emphasis on simpler monetary rewards, and aims to improve relevance and timeliness. Notably, the redesign appears to respond to several of the same themes our research surfaces: consumers want loyalty to feel simpler, more rewarding and easier to use. Whether Sparks succeeds remains to be seen, but strategically, it reinforces the broader shift underway.

Our data reveals a clear set of commercial principles for cutting through in today’s market, and they challenge some long-held assumptions about what drives loyalty success.

The everyday journey is no longer routine

Have you noticed fewer cars on the roads lately? It’s not your imagination. For many of us, it’s now something we think twice about. Rising fuel costs are reshaping how, when and why people travel.

Our latest research shows that 59% of UK drivers have used their vehicle less in the past three months. This is not just about driving less. Even routine journeys are now being questioned.

At a Market Research Society event in London this week, a deceptively simple question was posed: ‘Will researchers need to understand research in the future?’

It is tempting to assume the answer is ‘No’. As AI becomes more capable, surely the need for deep expertise fades. But that line of thinking assumes the challenge is simply operating the technology, and that is not where the real risk lies.

Since 2020, we have tracked UK consumer sentiment and behaviour as the cost-of-living crisis has unfolded through multiple phases. 

Our latest Q2 2026 data points to a clear shift: underlying pressures have not disappeared, but the drivers are changing. External factors are reasserting themselves, adding a new layer of volatility just as households were beginning to adjust. 

In our recent article, Spending with care: the current reality of big-ticket purchases in the UK, we explored how consumers are continuing to engage with major purchases, but with a more considered mindset. Spending has not stopped, but expectations around what feels manageable and worthwhile have shifted.

Automotive brings that mindset into sharper focus. It is a category where the financial commitment is high, the decision is rarely impulsive, and the consequences of getting it wrong feel more significant. As a result, it shows more clearly what consumers need to move from consideration to action.

Our data demonstrates what car finance providers need to be thinking about when shaping their propositions and customer conversations in 2026 and beyond.

Subscriptions are built on the promise of convenience. Increasingly, however, that promise is being tested not at the point of sign-up, but at the point of exit. From streaming and gaming to fitness and food delivery, they have reshaped how people access products and services, offering flexibility and ongoing access that has quickly become part of everyday life. As subscriptions evolve, that promise is increasingly judged by how straightforward it is to leave.

As the Advertising Standards Authority increases its focus on misleading imagery, and platforms like TikTok continue to favour raw, unfiltered content, brands are facing a different kind of creative pressure. At the same time, categories like food are already under scrutiny through HFSS regulation, with higher expectations around realism and representation. This is the environment AI-generated advertising is entering. 

AI offers clear advantages in speed, scale and cost. But our latest research at The Harris Poll UK suggests a more complicated picture. While AI may make it easier to produce advertising, it may also make it harder to earn belief. 

Whether it’s a family day out, a visit to a heritage site, or a spontaneous trip to a theme park, the British public increasingly turns to weather apps as their decision-making compass. For operators of outdoor attractions, these forecasts have become a critical, and sometimes frustrating, part of the visitor economy. Some attraction owners report that a single rain symbol can cost them up to £137,000 in a day, and our research supports the impact of rain in the forecast, with an increase from 20% to 40% for the chance of rain driving an incremental third of consumers to change their plans. 

Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 UK adults, our latest research highlights a clear behavioural shift: weather apps are not just influencing decisions, they are actively reshaping them. 

From Next’s acquisition strategy to the growing concession model trend, the UK retail landscape is being reshaped. The high street is undergoing a structural shift as large retailers acquire struggling brands and expand concession models, redefining how consumers experience retail.

But this is not simply a change in format. It signals a broader rebalancing in what consumers expect from retail. Shoppers are open to greater convenience and consolidation, but not at the expense of brand identity, discovery or experience.

For brands and retailers, this creates a new challenge. Growth may come from scale and efficiency, but long-term value will still depend on how well these fundamentals are protected and delivered.

Recent geopolitical tensions and disruption to international aviation routes have created uncertainty around how UK travellers may respond in their holiday planning. In partnership with Travel Weekly, The Harris Poll UK surveyed a nationally representative sample of UK adults in mid-March 2026 to understand initial consumer reaction. 

The research explored near-term travel intentions, recent shifts in booking behaviour, destination preferences, and confidence in travelling to or via Gulf destinations. It also examined how willingness to travel abroad varies across different time horizons over the coming year. 

The findings offer an early indication of how global instability is shaping travel decision-making. They highlight the extent to which consumers are delaying commitments, reassessing risk and adapting plans rather than stepping away from overseas travel altogether. 

Our latest research at The Harris Poll UK highlights a growing expectation that future leadership will be shaped not only by knowledge and experience, but by human understanding, ethical judgment and the confidence to navigate uncertainty.

It reflects something I’ve increasingly recognised in my own work. In the insights industry, we are often asked to provide certainty. Clients want clarity, leaders want confidence, and organisations want to know what happens next.

The longer I spend in research, leading teams and partnering with organisations through rapid change, the more I have come to value something I once tried hard to avoid: ‘not knowing’.