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CX LESSONS SHAPING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN 2026
BY LIEZEL JONKHEID, DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY LAB
AS BRANDS PLAN FOR THE YEAR AHEAD, LESSONS FROM 2025 REVEAL WHY TRUST, EMPATHY AND HUMAN-CENTRED DESIGN – NOT TECHNOLOGY ALONE – WILL DEFINE THE FUTURE OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR.
As satisfaction measures softened in multiple markets, the lesson became clear: the next era of CX won’ t be won by automation and technology alone. It will be won by trust, journey continuity, and disciplined“ human + tech” design, improving outcomes that customers can feel. Here’ s the Consumer Psychology Lab’ s observations of what emerged over the last year on the consumer behaviour front:
1. CONVENIENCE IS THE NEW STANDARD
Consumers now expect speed and seamless service as the norm, not the exception. E-commerce players like Checkers Sixty60 are setting the benchmark for delivery standards, much like Amazon did in the US. Brands that combine fast delivery with flexible, no-nonsense returns are winning the race for consumer loyalty.
2. THE EXPECTATION GAP IS REAL
Consumers are less forgiving of organisations stuck with outdated, legacy systems. New players – especially digitally savvy and customer-centric entrants like challenger banks – are capitalising on this by connecting the dots and creating personalised experiences. Technology is no longer just for Gen Z – every generation now expects instant access to content, services, and solutions.
3. AI IN CUSTOMER SERVICE – TRUST VS EFFICIENCY
AI has made service faster, but often at the cost of human connection. While it offers efficiency on some level, AI hasn’ t yet built the confidence and trust consumers crave to resolve problems effectively. Many struggle to resolve complex issues without speaking to a person.
The 2026 Qualtrics Customer Experience Trends Report, based on a survey of 20 000 consumers from 14 countries and across 18 industries, framed it best: while overall consumer comfort with AI has substantially improved, nearly one in five consumers said using AI for customer support did not provide any benefit at all – a failure rate four times higher than other AI applications. Their key issue? Companies are so far using AI mainly to solve their own problems( high customer service costs, for example) instead of their customers’. Forrester points out in its CX 2026 predictions that three in 10 firms will harm their total-experience growth with frustrating AI self-service.
4. TRUST IS CENTRAL
It has never been more important, particularly in SA. Sophisticated scams leveraging trusted brands are making consumers wary. Banks, mobile providers and insurers must work harder to prove their authenticity and safeguard relationships, as they’ ve been most targeted by fraudsters.
30 INBOUND SA / FEBRUARY 2026