The Shopper Has Changed. Has Your Retail Message?

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Retail has never been an easy business, but 2026 is giving retailers plenty to think about. Consumers are still spending, but higher prices and economic uncertainty are making them more thoughtful about where their dollars go and what they expect in return.

There is good news. In March, the National Retail Federation forecast retail sales to grow 4.4% in 2026 to $5.6 trillion, outpacing the 3.6% average annual growth of the past decade, excluding the pandemic years. Since then, the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor continues to show monthly sales growth. Consumer spending remains resilient, but that doesn’t mean retailers have an easy road ahead.

Within this current economic environment, value is important to today’s shopper, but it isn’t just about the lowest price. Four in 10 adult shoppers are cost-conscious, including consumers in high-income households. It is important to note that as much as 40% of a consumer’s perception of a brand’s or retailer’s value comes from factors other than price. Quality, customer service, loyalty programs and the overall shopping experience can all influence whether consumers believe they’re getting their money’s worth, according to Deloitte. Consumers may be watching their wallets, but their expectations continue to run high. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity for brands.

In fact, according to Deloitte, more than half of consumers are spending less on products and services than they did a year ago, yet they still expect a great shopping experience. Whether they’re shopping in a store, on a website or using a combination of the two, convenience, service and a frictionless experience can be just as important as the deal.

While price and experience matter once someone is shopping, first you have to make the shopping list. Consumers can’t consider a brand they don’t know. Awareness builds familiarity, and familiarity can lead to consideration.

That means the opportunity to influence a purchase starts well before someone walks into a store or they research a product on the internet . A brand that consumers have heard about, recognize and trust has an advantage when they begin narrowing their choices. Awareness is important even when consumers aren’t actively shopping. By the time someone begins comparing prices, reading reviews or searching “near me,” some of the brands under consideration may already have been decided.

All of this becomes particularly important as we head into the holiday season. Retailers also may want to rethink when the holiday season begins. Data from CivicScience found that 22% of Americans planned to do holiday shopping in July — double compared to 2021. A more recent survey found that 62% of adults plan on holiday shopping either before Thanksgiving or between Thanksgiving and the end of November.

Interestingly, shoppers aren’t necessarily waiting for the deepest possible discount. Four in five say a discount of 40% or less is enough to motivate them to buy, per Attentive. Once again, value, not necessarily the lowest price, appears to win.

All of this points to a holiday season in which retailers may have more time to reach shoppers, but also more competition for their attention. Waiting until Black Friday to start shouting about discounts misses the opportunity to influence shoppers while they’re still deciding what to buy and where to buy it.

Whether it’s a holiday gift or a personal purchase, leading with low prices may not be the only — or even the best — way for retailers to engage radio listeners. According to MRI-Simmons data, only four in 10 radio listeners say they are buying products on sale in response to inflation. What does matter is quality. Sixty-four percent of radio listeners say they don’t mind spending more to get high-quality products, rising to 65% among Black and Hispanic radio listeners.

Radio listeners care about quality, and retailers should tell that story. Instead of focusing solely on price, their messaging can highlight the quality of their products, the service they provide and the experience customers can expect when doing business with them. It gives retailers a much broader story to tell than simply, “We’re on sale.”

And who better to tell that story than a satisfied customer? Consumer testimonials can bring quality, service and the shopping experience to life through the voices of people who have already experienced them. Hearing someone talk about the employee who helped find the perfect gift, the jeweler who went above and beyond or the restaurant that made a celebration memorable can give potential customers another reason to trust — and consider — a business.

That connection can be especially powerful for local businesses. Independent retailers, restaurants and other locally owned businesses are part of the communities they serve, and so is local radio. Radio personalities are familiar voices, stations support local events and causes and listeners know who is speaking to them. During the holidays, that shared community connection gives local businesses an opportunity to remind consumers that where they spend their money can matter just as much as what they buy.

Winning today’s shopper isn’t simply about having the lowest price or the biggest promotion. It’s about getting on the consideration list, delivering an experience consumers value and building enough trust to ultimately earn the sale. As retailers look toward the 2026 holiday season, understanding what matters to shoppers is key, and the role radio can play throughout that journey may be more important than ever.

For retailers and other businesses hoping for a strong holiday season, the opportunity isn’t simply to offer shoppers another deal. It’s to get into the consideration set early, build trust and give them a reason to choose you when they’re ready to spend. And when awareness, familiarity, trust and community connection matter, radio gives brands a powerful way to be part of the shopper’s journey long before the shopping begins.