REFERENCES
Rising Living Costs in USA and UK
Rising Living Costs in USA and UK
Rising Living Costs in USA and UK
UK household essentials have surged: water and sewage bills rose 26 % in April 2025—“awful April”—pushing inflation to 3.5 % by May. Similar pressure in the US sees consumers trading down even while spending persists.
Plummeting Consumer Confidence
Rising Living Costs in USA and UK
Rising Living Costs in USA and UK
UK consumer confidence dropped to –10.4 % in Q2 2025 from –7.8 % in Q1, lowest since early 2024. Economic anxiety over debt and job security is dampening spending on experiences like holidays.
Worsening Customer Service
Rising Living Costs in USA and UK
Declining Experience Quality in the US
In the UK, automated chatbots and poorly logged “boomerang complaints” frustrate customers across sectors—banks, energy, retailers—even the contact process is buried behind endless clicks.
Declining Experience Quality in the US
Declining Experience Quality in the US
Declining Experience Quality in the US
Forrester reports that US customer experience scores have dropped for three consecutive years, now at 69.3 out of 100—the lowest since 2016. Consumers see little value amid rising prices and indifferent service.
Eroding Trust in Digital Services
Declining Experience Quality in the US
Painful Returns and Refund Delays
In the 2025 Thales Digital Trust Index, no digital sector achieved over 50 % consumer trust. Only banking (44 %) and government (42 %) held steady or rose; media ranked at a mere 3 %.
Painful Returns and Refund Delays
Declining Experience Quality in the US
Painful Returns and Refund Delays
In the UK, 58 percent of shoppers say returns fees are unjust, and poor refund processes erode trust—over half of consumers avoid buying again after slow refunds. Returns often take weeks, costing time and confidence.
CONSUMER REPORTS
Which?
Good housekeeping
Consumer Report
Which? is an independent UK consumer organisation that tests products, investigates services, and challenges poor practice. It is funded by subscribers rather than advertisers, which preserves its neutrality. It is useful because it offers rigorous testing, clear comparisons, and credible guidance that helps people make informed decisions and avoid poor-value purchases.
Consumer Report
Good housekeeping
Consumer Report
Consumer Reports is an independent US nonprofit that tests products and evaluates services. It runs its own labs, buys everything it tests, and accepts no advertising, which keeps it neutral. It is valued because its reviews, safety assessments and comparisons are thorough, consistent and free from commercial influence.
Good housekeeping
Good housekeeping
Good housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a long-established lifestyle magazine covering home, cooking, beauty, health, and consumer advice. It runs in-house labs via the Good Housekeeping Institute, which independently tests thousands of products. If something earns the Good Housekeeping Seal it is backed by a 2-year limited warranty. That combination of wide coverage, expert testing, and a warranty gives its recommendations credibility and value for readers.