10th August

The Croud Consumer Index: The Validation Economy - UK edition

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Croud Consumer Index

Explore the editions below and discover what’s shaping the consumer of tomorrow.

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The Croud Consumer Index is our proprietary research series exploring the trends shaping consumer behaviour and what these shifts mean for brands.

For each edition, we survey thousands of consumers to uncover the attitudes, motivations and behaviours influencing how people discover, evaluate and choose brands. From consumer confidence and spending habits to AI-powered discovery and the changing path to purchase, the Index tracks the changes shaping the world around us.

By turning consumer signals into actionable intelligence, the Croud Consumer Index helps marketers understand not just what people are doing, but why - and what it means for their next move.

Croud Consumer Index: The Validation Economy

AI is transforming product discovery, but consumers still seek human proof before they buy.

Croud’s latest Consumer Index explores this Validation Economy, uncovering what builds trust, how AI is changing the path to purchase, and how brands can turn discovery into growth. This edition features a case study on health and wellness supplements brand Thorne, and dives into key acceleration moments for brands, including Black Friday and Christmas.

Summer 2026

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The Intelligence Shift: What AI Means for Consumers and Brands

AI is changing the playing field. The opportunity is knowing how to play. Our Future Trends Report, created in partnership with Microsoft, explores how AI is reshaping consumer behaviour, discovery, creativity and measurement.

Drawing on the previous Croud Consumer Index, the report brings together insights from Croud, Born Social and Microsoft to uncover the trends shaping the AI era and how brands can stay ahead.

Spring 2026

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Croud Consumer Index: AI, LLMs and the Next Frontier of Search

AI is changing the way people discover and choose brands and products, with implications that go far beyond search. This edition of the Croud Consumer Index explores the four ways AI is impacting discovery: confidence, trust, spend size, and loyalty, with notes from thought leaders across Croud, All Saints, and Fortnum & Mason.

Examining how AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini are shaping the shopping journey, the research reveals just how quickly AI is becoming part of the path from discovery to purchase.

Fall 2025

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Croud Consumer Index: Unlocking the Optimism of Tomorrow's Consumer

The first edition of the Croud Consumer Index reveals AI's direct relationship with consumer financial optimism, revolutionising the discovery journey, and provides brands with strategies for growth in the LLM era.

The Index explores how optimism shapes customer behaviour through the lens of five key cohorts: the adventurous spender, the curious explorers, the measured pragmatists, the hesitant believers and the frugal navigators. 

Summer 2025

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Want to know more?

If you're interested in learning more about any of our editions of the Croud Consumer Index, or if you'd like to connect with one of our thought leaders, fill in the form below, and we'll be in touch.