New Consumer Study Finds Verified Product Reviews Are Key to Driving Decision-Making

AMC Global and OpinionRoute reveal insights on the power of product reviews, particularly for high ticket items like electronics and appliances

 

PRESS RELEASE

A new study from AMC Global, a custom market research firm specializing in launch phase consumer insights, and OpinionRoute, a leader in insights process management, reveals that product reviews play a critical role in driving consumer purchasing decisions, especially for high-ticket items like electronics and appliances. With the increasing reliance on online reviews, the study highlights the importance of verified purchaser reviews in building brand trust and boosting consumer confidence.

Some key insights from the study:

• 68% of consumers most frequently turn to Amazon for product reviews, followed by social media and influencer content (50%), YouTube (48%) and brand websites (47%).

   

• Only 100 reviews are needed for two-thirds of consumers (66%) to feel confident in their product purchase decision.

   

• Among those who say they read reviews when considering a product purchase, consumer reviews are in the top two decision influencers along with price, influencer endorsement and family recommendations. Product reviews were found to be especially vital for high-ticket items, like electronics (54% report the importance of reviews) and appliances (51%). Other categories where consumers seek reviews include beauty products (41%), personal care products (36%) and packaged goods (25%).

An important part of the study showed that, among the types of reviews, verified purchaser reviews stand out as the most influential on consumer’s purchase decisions. These reviews are trusted more than incentivized or promotional reviews, with consumers placing greater weight on the content and feedback shared by actual buyers. Reviews that come from verified purchasers enhance brand trust and the perceived effectiveness of the product.

“Product reviews are table stakes now; they are a fundamental component of consumer decision-making, particularly in categories like electronics and appliances,” said Miriam Konz, Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Innovation at AMC Global. “Verified reviews give shoppers the confidence they need to make high-value purchases, which is why it’s critical for brands to prioritize transparency and authenticity in their review systems.”

AMC Global’s VerifiedViews™ solution is directly aligned with the study’s findings, providing brands with authentic, verified ratings and reviews from actual purchasers shortly after product launch. As the research highlighted, verified purchaser reviews are key to building trust and driving purchasing decisions. VerifiedViews™ works alongside AMC Global’s proprietary ResponseCash® PFU™ program. By eliminating the risk of incentivized or biased reviews, VerifiedViews™ offers reliable, transparent insights that brands can use to refine products and marketing strategies.

A complete representation of the “The Value of Authentic Product Reviews” can be found here. These insights were collected Friday, February 28 – Monday, March 7, 2025, among a general population of n=454 U.S. consumers age 18+. We partnered with OpinionRoute for collecting data, and Jibunu’s highlighter tool was used to understand specific reactions to the simulated review content. The findings from this ongoing study are designed to help clients and industry leaders navigate quickly changing consumer behavior. 

Click on the callout below to view the full graphical representation of the data. Reach out to us to learn more.