The Buy Now button is losing its luster. After years of digital-first dominance, shoppers are intentionally slowing down, stepping away from their screens, and heading back to physical stores — not for nostalgia, but for verification.
Faced with rising prices and a surge in fraud — with 41% of consumers reporting fraud experiences — today’s shopper has become a super-scrutinizer, treating every transaction as a high-stakes risk-management exercise. For retailers, value is no longer defined by price alone; it’s about mitigating the total cost of a transaction, which now includes risks such as fraud, defective products, and data theft.
The era of the frictionless one-click purchase has hit a wall of economic reality. According to the latest research by Salsify, a product experience management firm, today’s consumer is no longer chasing the dopamine hit of a viral trend. Rather, they are shopping for certainty. With daily online shopping frequency plummeting from 21% to 9% in just a year, signaling a recalibration of household budgets.
Global trade strain and a widening trust gap are pushing shoppers to replace impulse with investigation. They are returning to physical aisles to verify quality before spending money. In an economy shaped by rising prices, the new consumer mandate is clear: Verify everything, trust nothing, and value longevity above all else.
These findings come from Salsify’s 2026 Consumer Research report, which surveyed nearly 3,000 shoppers across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The data shows a consumer mindset focused on risk reduction and verification, with buyers scrutinizing more details, comparing across channels, and seeking reassurance in-store.
Sixty percent of shoppers now say they visit physical stores to find new products. This marks a clear pivot from years of digital-first shopping behavior.
According to Salsify Research Director Dom Scarlett, shoppers are feeling real budget pressure amid ongoing economic uncertainty. They are intentionally slowing down, shopping online less frequently, and taking more time to compare as prices rise and confidence becomes harder to earn.
“The drop in daily online shopping reflects a shift toward caution and selectivity, not a move away from e-commerce,” he told the E-Commerce Times.
Trust Gap Behind the Digital Pullback
Research by enterprise mobile platforms firm Soti found that despite the rise of agentic commerce and the prominence of online shopping:
- 90% of consumers still want to shop both online and in-store
- 69% still prefer in-store shopping to see, touch, and try items in person
Soti researchers surveyed 13,000 consumers across 11 countries. The results show that 82% of consumers are cutting costs due to changing economic conditions. Meanwhile, 88% are thinking twice before shopping at retailers that have been hit by a cyberattack. Almost half of the respondents (41%) have experienced fraud while shopping.
Both reports, released in January, reinforce similar conclusions. For instance, Soti found that 65% of consumers want suggestions based on past purchases, yet Salsify notes that shoppers are pulling back from impulse buys.
Soti mentions the rise of agentic commerce (AI shopping for you), but Salsify found that only 14% of people trust AI recommendations. Both reports point to a return to in-store shopping:
- Soti: 69% prefer it
- Salsify: 60% use it for discovery
Shash Anand, SVP of product strategy at Soti, observed that as the cost of living grows, consumers are becoming more cautious about how they share personal information. A data breach not only threatens their privacy but also poses financial consequences, including identity theft, fraud, and unauthorized charges, risks consumers cannot afford amid global uncertainty.
“As a result, security concerns remain a significant barrier to long-term brand loyalty. Trust is foundational,” he told the E-Commerce Times.
He added that security has always been a form of economic value for consumers, especially since 51% of U.S. consumers have experienced fraud.
“Retailers must be proactive in protecting customer data, securing transactions, and maintaining transparent security practices,” he said.
Quality Paradox in Value Spending
Salsify’s Scarlett agreed that a paradox is emerging where shoppers are both trading down to cheaper brands and investing in long-lasting quality. Consumers are navigating the tension between the immediate need for a lower price point and the long-term economic goal of durability.
“Shoppers are buying less often, but with more intention. Durability and longevity are the strongest signals of value, which shows consumers are willing to spend when a product feels dependable and clearly represented,” he suggested.
Consumers are resolving budget tensions by cutting impulse purchases while raising expectations for anything they do buy. They are also doing more research before committing to a purchase.
“They’re paying even closer attention to positive reviews and social proof, which was the second-most popular indicator of high product quality and value,” Scarlett said.
Phygital Shopping Takes Hold
In-store technology is becoming central to helping cost-conscious shoppers validate purchases in real time and audit their cart before checkout.
Soti’s Anand noted that research shows that 61% of U.S. consumers prefer more technology-enhanced shopping. Personal shopper devices, such as handheld scanners or in-store tablets, can help consumers scan and verify product prices, check promotions, and manage their shopping lists in real time.
“By integrating these devices with personalized apps that offer price comparisons, loyalty rewards, and digital receipts, retailers empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions on the spot,” he suggested.
For this experience to be successful, retailers must ensure their backend system is fully connected. Real-time visibility into inventory levels, prices, and promotions is essential to delivering accurate information and maintaining trust throughout the shopping journey.
“This connectivity prevents frustrating discrepancies at checkout, reduces cart abandonment, and builds consumer trust,” Anand said.
Security and Uncertainty Shape Behavior
Scarlett noted that physical stores have become places where shoppers reduce uncertainty before making a purchase. Sixty percent now discover products in-store, and many use their phones in the aisle to compare prices, reviews, and specifications across channels.
“Some even purchase directly from their phones inside physical stores to ensure they don’t miss out on a deal or a particular item,” he added.
Physical retail stores are increasingly important in helping shoppers verify products before buying. Beyond a shift toward extreme verification, Scarlett suggested that shoppers enjoy moving between digital and physical shelves to ensure they choose the best option for their needs.
“More than two-thirds of shoppers (67%) webroom, or research a product online, before purchasing it in-store. More than half (53%) showroom, or research a product in-store, before purchasing it online,” Scarlett said.
Rise of the Super-Scrutinizer
According to Anand, the economic downturn might provide a headwind for automated or agentic commerce. Financial anxiety is pushing consumers toward manual control. But Soti researchers believe the economic downturn will act more as a filter than a barrier for agentic commerce.
“When consumers are scrutinizing every penny, they will likely pause automated purchasing that prioritizes convenience over price,” he reasoned.
However, this scrutiny creates a clear opening for agents that act as “super-scrutinizers.” A consumer can only check three websites for a lower price before fatigue sets in. An AI agent can check hundreds in seconds, Anand noted.
What This Means for Retail
Anand expects to see a shift in the value proposition. He argues that in a booming economy, consumers use AI to save time by buying automatically. During a downturn, they will use AI to save money by automatically hunting for deals.
“The winning agentic tools in this economy won’t be the ones that simply spend for the user. They will be the ones that prove they can negotiate better than the user,” he concluded.
