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Yolist
6,800 UK adult consumers surveyed (sample 2024)

Consumer Trust in Local Businesses 2024

How UK consumers evaluate and trust local businesses before making a purchase or booking. Headline finding: 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations — and star rating is the single biggest factor in choosing a local provider.

Key takeaways

  • 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
  • Star rating is the top decision factor (76%), ahead of proximity (61%) and price (58%).
  • A business with 50+ reviews is trusted by 71% of consumers; one with fewer than 5 reviews by only 29%.
  • Consumers aged 18-34 check an average of 3.2 platforms before booking; those aged 55+ check 1.4.
  • A response from the business owner to a negative review increases trust for 68% of consumers.

Headline chart

Sample 2024 — % of UK consumers citing each factor as important when choosing a local business.

Methodology

Sample 2024: Yolist surveyed 6,800 UK adult consumers in August 2024. Respondents were nationally representative by age, gender and region per ONS mid-year estimates. "Trusts online reviews as much as personal recommendations" was a Likert-5 agree/disagree statement; 84% chose "agree" or "strongly agree". All figures clearly marked "sample 2024".

Cite this report

APA-style:

Yolist. (2024). Consumer Trust in Local Businesses 2024. Yolist Research. https://yolist.uk/research/consumer-trust-local-businesses

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