Holly Williams, VP Client Services & Growth at Epsilon
Trying a new brand always involves a small leap of faith. Shoppers want to know whether the products they purchase will live up to their promise and whether they are worth the money. That confidence is especially important among younger generations who are disproportionately targeted with ads by new brands and influencers on social media.
While social media still plays an important role in brand discovery, the reality is nearly a third of Gen Z deleted a social media app in the 12 months leading up to a 2025 Deloitte consumer trends survey of more than 4,000 UK consumers.
This is where retailers can play a particularly important role. According to Epsilon’s Golden Quarter research, 65% of Gen Z shoppers and 62% of millennials are more likely to place faith in retailers whose opinion they value. It tells us that, when those shoppers encounter a new brand through a retailer they already use and trust, that leap of faith feels more like a step in the right direction.
Trust grows when brands show up consistently
Building trust requires brands to continuously show up where their consumers are – on the open web, as well as in walled gardens. The same research found that 71% of Gen Z shoppers say seeing a brand consistently as they browse makes them more confident about buying, against 48% of consumers overall. The pattern extends into the millennial cohort, which now stretches to anyone under 45 and represents a large share of family buyers.
For marketers, that puts cross-channel consistency at the centre of any plan.
This matters most for challenger brands, which often lack the same levels of credibility and visibility as established brands. Many do not have the budget to build consistent, full-funnel awareness on their own, so efficiency of budget and impact of media is key. That means using identity and data to make intentional choices about which shoppers to target, when to reach them, how often to speak to them and what to say when they do.
Identity makes consistency more relevant
A strong identity layer helps brands deliver that connected customer experience wherever they appear. In other words, persistent, unique identifiers that can tie signals back to a single identity spine, giving brands a clearer view of whether they are reaching the right shoppers in the right moments. What’s more, as trust builds, identity is enriched over time, making it easier for brands to recognise new signals and use them to make each interaction more relevant to consumers.
Every interaction must feel relevant and authentic, however, while aligning with both brand and consumer values. Younger audiences in particular are highly sceptical of advertising and quickly turn away from brands that feel too hard-sell, opaque or inauthentic. They are well versed in navigating an online environment saturated with dupes and questionable provenance, which makes retailer curation especially valuable.
The retailer’s shelf, digital or physical, can function as a badge of reassurance, acting as a friend recommending something tried and tested. This further demonstrates the value of retail media both onsite and across the open web.
With the abundance of rich customer data that retailers have, they can take on much of the heavy lifting. Brands can activate campaigns in trusted environments, using deep customer insight and media reach to make brands feel more credible to potential buyers. Some retailers also give brands space to tell their story through dedicated web pages, where they can showcase products and integrate dynamic content to drive shopper engagement.
Trust deepens when the value exchange is clear
We also know that every brand relies on loyalty and that having a clear value exchange is important. Loyalty gives brands, and indeed retailers, a way to deepen trust over time and build rich first-party data around shoppers’ needs, preferences and buying behaviour.
Consumers, especially Gen Z, are increasingly aware of the value of their data, so consent must be at the forefront of this strategy. Customers are then far more likely to share their information because they know it will inform a more personalised experience, with relevant offers and brand messages that feel tailored.
Ultimately, brands need to make it easier for Gen Z shoppers to take that leap of faith. They are open to discovering new products, but they need reassurance that the brands they choose are relevant, credible and worth their attention.
Retailers are quickly becoming that signal, helping brands stay visible in the places shoppers already spend their time. For any brand asking consumers to try something new, retailers can make the next step feel worth taking.
Read more opinion from retail media experts on Retail Media Age.
