A fast way to disappoint a customer in 2026 is to meet 2020 expectations.
We’ve seen sharp inflation in consumer expectations for digital experiences. Partly because consumers no longer compare a business to just its direct competitors, they compare it to the best digital experiences they’ve ever had. Once customers experience a frictionless digital service, friction stops being tolerated across any of the organisations they interact with.
Our insights team recently compiled a report on B2C digital expectations in 2026. Here are some of the key themes:
One continuous journey
Customers will no longer tolerate repeating themselves. They expect businesses to remember them.
Customers now expect a unified experience across all channels. If they start an experience on their mobile, they want the journey to continue seamlessly in-store or online.
According to Zendesk’s CX Trends report, 70% of customers expect any staff member they speak to, online or in-person, to have access to their past purchases and previous conversations.
Mobile is not optional
Regardless of your business, a mobile experience is expected.
Not long ago, businesses with a physical service like a shop or a trades company could exist comfortably without a mobile experience.
That’s no longer true.
Customers now expect a mobile touchpoint regardless of the industry. Booking, payment, receipts, loyalty, service history, updates, support, all are expected to live in a simple, intuitive mobile experience.
Even when the core service happens in the real world, customers expect digital convenience around it. If they can’t manage the relationship from their phone, the experience feels outdated or incomplete.
Intelligent use of data
Businesses must balance personalisation with transparency and trust to meet expectations.
Customers expect brands to make better use of the data they already hold to provide personalised recommendations, loyalty rewards and support.
At the same time, 87% expect personal data to be handled responsibly, yet only 46% believe brands meet this standard.
Enhanced digital experiences
Static interactions are no longer enough.
Customers increasingly expect richer, more interactive digital experiences, both online and in physical environments.
Personalised communication, interactive tools and immersive demonstrations are becoming standard. Whether it’s configuring a product, previewing outcomes, or receiving tailored guidance, customers want to engage, not just consume information.
These expectations don’t stop at the screen. In-store and on-site experiences are now expected to be digitally enhanced, from guided demos and visualisations to personalised recommendations powered by real-time data.
Research shows that 82% of customers spend more time with brands that offer interactive experiences. These experiences seem to not only increase engagement and satisfaction but also reduce returns and encourage loyalty.
Proactive updates
If customers don’t know what’s happening, they fear the worst.
Where consumers were previously willing to live with more uncertainty, tools like real-time shipping updates and Domino’s-style order trackers have permanently raised expectations. Now, anything less than clear, continuous status updates feels outdated and increases buyer anxiety.
Customers expect visibility at every stage, confirmation an order has been received, when it’s being processed, when it’s made, dispatched, and delivered. Silence between steps creates worry.
Industry data shows that 69% of customers want brands to anticipate their needs and share relevant updates at the right time, yet only 35% feel brands do this well.
Speed
Customers increasingly associate speed with competence.
Slow load times, delayed responses and sluggish systems both frustrate customers and signal that something isn’t quite right behind the scenes.
Customers expect near-instant responses, fast navigation and rapid resolution, especially for simple tasks. When an experience feels slow, trust erodes long before a customer consciously complains.
Self-service by default
Customers want control, not queues.
Research suggests that over 60% of customers prefer using self-service channels to resolve simple issues rather than speaking with a company representative. Waiting for callbacks, opening tickets, or explaining issues repeatedly feels unnecessary when systems could handle it instantly.
This includes tracking orders, changing bookings, updating account details, downloading documents, resolving common issues and checking status updates, all without human intervention.
In 2026, the best experiences are the ones where support is available but rarely needed.
For teams designing customer-facing systems, these trends are worth keeping at the front of mind. They increasingly shape customer loyalty, engagement and revenue, sometimes just as much as pricing or features.