UK shoppers seek out 'honest' brands in uncertain times

London - In these current political and economically uncertain times it should come as little surprise that consumers seek out brands and retailers they feel they can trust. New research shows that UK shoppers favour retailers which are both honest and affordable according to global trend research firm WGSN, as consumers become more thoughtful with where they chose to spend their hard-earned cash.

The integrity and value offered by a number of UK high street retailers are driving consumer spend according to WGSN’s recently launched Barometer. Nearly all of the top ten most-considered womenswear retailers in the UK, which includes the likes of Primark, M&S and New Look are highly-perceived to be both honest and ‘worth every penny’, a move which has been linked by WGSN to current social and political uncertainty following Brexit.

UK consumers favour Next, Primark and M&S in uncertain times for their value and integrity

Next came out on top as the most-considered womenswear retailer in the UK, ranking the highest in purchase consideration and over-indexed in its perception of honesty by 3.6 percent according to the Barometer results. WGSN Barometer results are based on participation from female survey respondents aged 16 to 74 across the UK and US, as well as the tracking of over 100 metrics to compare performance on key drivers of customer satisfaction, ranging from offer (shopping experience, range and quality) to value (prices, offers, sales and promotions).

Primark came was ranked as the second most-considered womenswear retailer, and over-index on honesty by 8.9 percent, followed by Marks & Spencer in third place with an over-index on honesty of 9.2 percent. Overall the top ten womenswear retailers all heavily over-indexed when it came to the image association of being ‘worth every penny’, with Primark leading the way with a 30.5 percent over-average, followed by Matalan at 22.4 percent and Asda at 21.5 percent. Following increased polarisation and uncertainty in the light of multiplied events across the world which have been amplified by social media, more consumers than ever seek out solutions they can control and which help them mediate the chaos, according to WGSN.

Although what may come next in terms of social and political turmoil remains unclear, it impacts on the fashion industry has already been noted through this indication of consumer sentiment. “With so much global uncertainty and political noise at the moment, consumers are reaching out for brands to be the new leaders,” said Lorna Hall, Head of WGSN Insight. “Brands excelling in this space are the ones that are re-strategising to put ‘doing good’ at the core of the company, ensuring honesty, transparency and authenticity are the new business metrics. Regardless of the demographic, honesty speaks volume to consumers who are careful and sceptical about where their eyeballs and money go.”

“The high ranking of honesty together with affordability shows that both elements are pivotal for consumer consideration – it’s not an either-or situation. Brands who are honest are quite simply transparent on their pricing,” she added.

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