The new growth equation

Why reducing uncertainty matters more than buying attention

Rising prices haven't made consumers buy less. They've made them think harder. 82% have changed how they shop, and for 42% the change has been significant. The result is close scrutiny: 34% now spend more time researching and comparing before they buy, and 38% prioritise finding the best price, discount or cashback offer available.

Economic pressure has made a bad purchase more costly. Shoppers are harder to convince. Advertising alone won't do it.

For years the default answer to growth was simple: spend more. More budget meant more impressions. More impressions meant more clicks. More clicks meant more sales. That model no longer holds.

This is also where AI is finding its role. Consumers use it as a research and synthesis step, compressing hours of comparison into minutes. Not to skip the work. To do it faster.

of AI users turn to AI to research what they buy.

Spend more time researching and comparing before they buy

Prioritise finding the best price, discount or cashback offer available

Whilst the technology of discovery and purchase evolves at a pace, the wiring of human brain barely changes at all. Trust and confidence remain key to decision- making, and as the consumer is faced with ever more choice, a brand needs to capitalise on multiple methods to help the consumer trust their product enough to buy.

Chloe Thomas

Host, Keep Optimising Podcast

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There’s a persistent myth that cashback sits at the bottom of the funnel, catching demand that was already there. The data doesn’t support it. A significant share of our members start their journey before they’ve decided what or who to buy it from.

What’s changed is that consumers no longer trust a single source. They triangulate creators, reviews, comparison sites, AI, marketplaces, loyalty and cashback and what they’re building is confidence, not just a lower price. Value isn’t only about spending less; it’s about reducing buyer remorse. Cashback is one of the signals people use to validate a decision, and trust in the platform they’re using to do it matters enormously.

As a result, we drive billions of pounds in revenue for our retail partners every year, and that number is growing, not slowing.

James Little

Group Commercial Director at TopCashback

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THE MISCONCEPTION

Growth is still driven by reaching more people more often.

It isn't. It's increasingly driven by helping people make better decisions.

KEY TAKEAWAY FOR RETAILERS AND BRANDS

Growth is increasingly a confidence problem.

Brands that invest in clearer information, better decision tools and easier comparison will outperform those still chasing attention.

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

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