2026 presents an opportunity for organizations unlike any we have seen in our 5 years studying consumer experience trends. Despite a global economic and political climate that is teeming with uncertainty, and ongoing technological transformation, people are remarkably optimistic and open to change.

Which means there is space for businesses to act – and a chance for truly customer-centric organizations to make an impact in 2026.

But what should businesses prioritize? Where? And how? We spoke to 20,000 consumers, and four themes became clear. We’ll walk you through the trends and outline how to put these insights into practice so you keep your customers coming back in 2026.