What makes a cautious shopper try a new product? | Consumer report 2026

More than half of UK shoppers want to try more new products than they currently do, and 69% are buying the same things every time they shop.

That gap is the problem.

The appetite for discovery is intact, and among 25 to 34-year-olds it's stronger than it's been in years, with 73% saying they want to try more than they do now.

What's gone is the confidence to act on it.

If you're launching an NPD or trying to trying to win new buyers, that habit is what you're up against.

Not the brand next to you on shelf, but a routine that already works for someone who can't afford to be disappointed.

We commissioned a consumer study to ask 2,010 UK consumers what would change that.

The last question gave them 5 levers: an introductory discount, positive reviews, a recommendation from a friend, cashback, and a free sample. One beat the rest by a clear margin, and it wasn't the discount.

Inside the report:

• What's stopping trial, and why cutting price isn't the strongest answer to it
• Why 18 to 24-year-olds have become the most risk-averse group in the study, despite wanting discovery more than anyone else
• How habit purchasing has hardened, and what that means for NPD launches over the next 12 months
• The 5 levers ranked, including the one that came out on top

[Download the report]

Research conducted by Walnut (Accenture Song) between 17 and 20 April 2026. Online omnibus survey of 2,010 UK consumers, weighted to be nationally representative.