Having turned to digital shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are now slightly more trusting in terms of how brands are using their data, according to Consumer Experience Sentiment Report, a study from Merkle.
For instance, only 23% now oppose sharing personal information regardless of benefit -- a drop of 5% from 2020.
Despite that, 51% now feel brands know either slightly or far too much about them, versus 48% in 2020.
Overall, though, consumers seem more positive about data use for marketing and advertising. They report:
In addition, consumers are now more comfortable with providing data if it leads to more personalized experiences:
All of these numbers are up by fair-sized margins over 2020.
How are consumers feeling about things? They report the following:
On the positive side (for brands), 48% have increased spending on online shopping, while 45% have increased spending on food/cooking and 33% have upped spending on streaming services/subscriptions.
In another finding, Merkle reports that 88% of shoppers view a brand's products more favorably if they feel the firm is listening to their needs. And 91% are more likely to make a repeat purchase if they feel the brand is listening.
Merkle surveyed more than 1,300 consumers in March 2021.