Consumer Trends 2025: Insights to Shape the Future of Customer Engagement

History has a habit of repeating itself. Therefore, it's essential to consider the past when attempting to predict the future. With this in mind, we compiled a consumer trends 2025 report. 

The consumer experts at PissedConsumer.com have access to an incredible amount of data, meaning our predictions for those 2025 consumer trends are always built on a solid foundation of real customer engagement.

This consumer trends report has been designed to identify trends and potential issues impacting consumer relationships with the brands they buy from over the next 12 months.

Key Consumer Trend Insights

• E-commerce and associated retail partners, digital services, food delivery, and social media companies received the most complaints in 2024.
• Significant areas of consumer dissatisfaction include refund delays, billing and payment disputes, customer service inefficiencies, fraudulent activities such as identity theft or online scams, delivery problems, and concerns about shrinkflation.
• High-complaint months follow seasonal patterns linked to high-profile shopping events like Black Friday and Valentine's Day. 
• The growth of services like Buy Now Pay Later will see rising complaints in 2025.

Understanding when service levels are most likely to fall below expected standards can help consumers plan their purchases and brands manage their various resources to mitigate any reduction in service.

Top Consumer Trends and Insights: Online Review Statistics

When compiling this report, PissedConsumer experts analyzed online reviews left by consumers during 2024 (over 700K) to map peak periods of consumer dissatisfaction, highlighting the points where relationships with brands break down and generate negative consumer feedback. The following chart showcases the peaks of the biggest risk.

Overall Complaint Volume Across 2024

Insights 

Here are key insights to learn from the volumes of processed consumer review data:

• High-Complaint Months: January, July, November, and December are peak months for complaints, reflecting seasonal consumer activity. 
• Low-Complaint Months: April and August record fewer complaints, suggesting that these are stable or reduced consumer engagement periods.
• Seasonal Drivers of Complaint Spikes: Post-holiday returns, spring and summer sales, and Black Friday significantly increase complaint volumes during their respective seasons.

Consumer issues, including refund delays, delivery problems, and billing disputes, dominate customer reviews posted during January, July, November, and December. This highlights weaknesses in logistics and customer support operation processes. Meanwhile, this data suggests that in the quieter months, such as April, August, and September companies may develop ways to provide opportunities to optimize processes and address systemic issues without the pressure of heightened demand.

Top 10 Most Complained About Companies and Industries

It should come as no surprise that the companies most complained about on PissedConsumer.com are some of the biggest names in global business, from the worlds of e-commerce, digital services, food delivery, social media, and retail.

So, what businesses did consumers complain about the most on PissedConsumer in 2024?

The breakdown of this top 10 list of most complained about companies into the various verticals of e-commerce and retail, digital services, food delivery, and social media, provides an understanding of the multiple issues consumers have with these organizations:

E-Commerce/Retail

Consumers who are shopping with e-commerce and associated retail brands like Temu, Amazon, Shein UK, and Afterpay mostly complain about refund delays and delivery issues. These were more prominent during major shopping events like Black Friday and peak holiday sales, suggesting high transaction volumes drove them. 

Digital Services

Brands like Google, YouTube, and Netflix have experienced complaints about billing disputes and problems accessing or recovering accounts. These complaints spiked during increased platform usage, such as the New Year.

Food Delivery 

Companies like Uber Eats primarily received complaints about late delivery, which often coincided with seasonal spikes tied to outdoor and holiday events, driving higher demand for food delivery services.

Social Media

Social media users complained mostly about account security issues on sites like Facebook and Instagram, including hacking and unauthorized access. These problems peaked during Q1 and Q3 and coincided with increased platform engagement.

Key Complaint Trends Impacting Consumer Behavior

PissedConsumer's 2024 data outlines six areas across multiple business verticals where consumers feel the most aggrieved. Below is the breakdown of these areas, specifying the problem’s nature, and how it makes consumers feel, and offering a proposed solution.

1. Refund Delays

Refund delays were a recurring issue for consumers throughout 2024, peaking during seasonal sales (March, May, and November) due to operational inefficiencies.

2. Billing and Payment Disputes

Billing disputes were consistent across all months, highlighting financial transparency and accountability gaps.

3. Customer Service Inefficiencies

Poor customer service spanned all industries, with slight improvements noted in Q2 and Q3.

4. Fraudulent Activities

Fraud complaints surged in e-commerce and digital services, particularly during high-demand months.

5. Delivery Problems

Delivery complaints peaked during Black Friday and summer sales, with food delivery platforms also seeing increased complaints.

6. Shrinkflation Concerns

Shrinkflation became a significant consumer focus in Q4, particularly during the holiday season.

With many of these consumer issues connected to the rapid growth of e-commerce and digital services, it becomes clear that there is an increasing need for these companies to address operational inefficiencies, and to adopt proactive measures for fraud prevention. This might mean they need to invest more in customer support to meet evolving consumer expectations.

Consumer behavior is also becoming more sophisticated in how they engage with brands and the wider community.

World Events Impacting Consumer Trends

It's not just seasonal peaks or business models that are having an impact on the relationships between consumers and the companies that serve them. World events will also have a significant effect on 2025 consumer trends. 

Political insecurity, war in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the continued knock-on effect from the COVID-19 global pandemic have all impacted inflation, rising prices, and supply chain issues.

Inflation and Rising Prices: A Growing Concern

Inflation and rising prices have amplified consumer sensitivity to issues like refund delays, billing disputes, and product value. As budgets tighten, people are also scrutinizing their purchases more closely. This has led to a surge in complaints about shrinkflation—where product sizes decrease, but the price remains the same. This issue was particularly pronounced in PissedConsumersʼ Q4 data, with shrinkflation-related complaints rising by more than 50% compared to Q3. 

Consumers increasingly highlight the need for businesses to address these concerns more proactively and demand greater transparency in product changes and more explicit billing processes.

Growth of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Services

Rising costs have also led to the growth of BNPL services and a subsequent increase in complaints about these platforms and their promotions. Overall, financial services complaints increased by 20% compared to 2023, with many consumers calling for greater transparency in BNPL terms and improved customer support to resolve disputes more efficiently.

Post-Pandemic Challenges and Consumer Expectations

The continued shift to a digitally driven lifestyle post-pandemic has highlighted challenges in account security, billing disputes, and subscription cancellations. With consumers increasingly relying on digital platforms for shopping, entertainment, and payments, vulnerabilities in customer service and security protocols have become more apparent. 

Complaints about digital services consistently ranked highly on PissedConsumer, with significant spikes in February and November due to a rise in account-related scams. This dependency has increased consumer demand for more robust security systems and seamless account recovery processes.

Global Supply Chain Challenges

Ongoing global supply chain disruptions (again connected to the pandemic and global geo-political crises) have significantly impacted consumer experiences, particularly in the field of e-commerce. Delivery delays and inventory shortages have led to a surge in complaints, with international shipping platforms like Temu and AliExpress facing particular scrutiny. 

These issues peaked in Q4 as holiday shopping demands overwhelmed logistics networks, sharply increasing delivery failure complaints. In response, shoppers have expressed a growing demand for better company communication, including more proactive updates on delays and more precise expectations for delivery timelines.

10 Predictions for Consumer Behavior and Complaints in 2025

Based on the analysis of PissedConsumer’s consumer behavior trends and complaints data throughout 2024, the following 10 predictions for the year ahead have been compiled:

1. Increased Transparency in Refund Policies 

In 2024, consumer frustration about slow refund processes peaked during major sales events such as Black Friday and Valentine's Day. In 2025, businesses will face mounting pressure to adopt automated systems to manage the refund process more efficiently and effectively during these peak periods. Successful, customer-centric brands must also work hard to set and adhere to more precise timelines to meet customer expectations. While refund delays will remain a constant challenge, the companies that invest in improving refund efficiency and transparency will stand out in any competitive market. Meanwhile, the companies that fail to act and potentially lag behind will risk losing customers to their more responsive competitors. 

2. Greater Scrutiny of Shrinkflation

In 2024, dissatisfaction with rising prices and reduced product sizes peaked during the busy Q4 shopping period. Shrinkflation is likely to face intensified scrutiny in 2025 as consumers become more vigilant about product sizes and value. Consumers are demanding more transparent labeling relating to product changes. This proactive communication will become essential for building and maintaining trust. Brands that fail to address concerns about shrinkflation risk alienating their customer base.

3. Continued Growth of BNPL-Related Complaints

2024 saw a dramatic rise in complaints about BNPL services. In 2025, with increased rising costs putting additional pressure on family budgets, we expect this trend to continue. Complaints about hidden fees, unauthorized charges, and unclear repayment terms are likely to increase. Successful financial services platforms will have to prioritize greater transparency and strengthen customer support to maintain trust and avoid losing users to competitors that offer better clarity and service.

4. Shift Toward Proactive Fraud Prevention

With scams and phishing attempts remaining a consistent consumer pain point in 2024, fraud detection will emerge as a top priority for many e-commerce and digital platforms in 2025. Companies investing in advanced fraud prevention tools and consumer education are likely to reduce consumer complaints while also protecting themselves from the considerable financial and reputational risks associated with breaching local and international data security and privacy regulations like GDPR.

5. Focus on Delivery Reliability

Delivery issues dominated consumer complaints in 2024, highlighting the need for better logistics. Guaranteeing advertised delivery schedules, especially during peak shopping periods, will be a significant focus for many e-commerce businesses in 2025, helping to reduce complaints about late or missing packages. Companies will have to develop partnerships with the most reliable courier services and offer real-time tracking to gain consumer trust and enhance satisfaction.

6. Rise of AI-Driven Customer Support

PissedConsumer reviews highlighted persistent inefficiencies in customer support as a major frustration in 2024. In 2025, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants will play a more significant role in customer service, handling routine queries with greater speed and efficiency. While AI can streamline engagements with consumers, businesses must ensure human engagement isn't completely removed from the process and that customer support teams are well-trained to handle more complex or emotional issues that AI-enabled systems cannot handle.

7. Greater Emphasis on Subscription Clarity

In 2024, complaints about unauthorized charges and complicated cancellations were widespread among consumers of various subscription services. In 2025, platforms have to comply with the FTC’s “Click-to-Cancel” rule and ensure more transparent subscription management tools and simplified cancellation options to foster greater customer loyalty and improve retention rates.

8. Seasonal Complaint Peaks

Seasonal shopping behaviors in 2024 highlighted the ongoing challenges in scaling operations to meet demand. These challenges were particularly prevalent in the e-commerce and multi-channel online retail sectors. Complaints will continue to spike during key sales and holiday periods like Black Friday and spring sales. Therefore, businesses might have to invest in expanding resources, optimizing logistics, and improving customer resolution times during these peak periods to avoid service disruptions, customer dissatisfaction, and negative reviews.

9. Increased Visual Evidence in Reviews

The trend for including photos, videos, and screenshots of items like receipts or tickets to reviews grew in 2024. As accountability increasingly becomes a key customer focus, this trend will continue unabated. Platforms must adapt to accept, recognize, and efficiently process this type of multimedia evidence, ensuring it contributes to resolving disputes as quickly and effectively as possible.

10. Stronger Consumer Awareness of Misleading Promotions

In 2024, complaints about unfulfilled discounts and deceptive sales tactics spiked during peak sales periods like Black Friday. In 2025, as consumers become more aware of sharp business practices such as misleading promotional practices, companies that fail to showcase their products or services honestly and transparently risk losing consumer trust and exposing themselves to legal and reputational risks.

Summary of Consumer Trends Predictions

To summarize the above predictions into easily digestible bullet points, we believe: 

• 2025 will see a consumer-centric shift, with expectations for transparency, efficiency, and proactivity dominating the conversation.

• Companies that invest in logistics, fraud prevention, AI-driven support, and communication transparency will thrive, while others may face heightened scrutiny and lose customers to more proactive companies.

• Seasonal complaint spikes will persist, highlighting the need for strategic planning and resource allocation.

Online reviews on websites like PissedConsumer.com will continue to play an essential role in providing consumers with a platform to voice their customer service issues and helping businesses monitor and manage their customer support and brand management efforts. If you've recently experienced consumer issues with any company, why not write a review to join the conversation and shape those all-important 2025 consumer trends?