Marketing

Why emotions matter in retail customer journeys

By understanding consumers' emotional triggers, retailers can better design customer journeys that address concerns, ultimately fostering stronger, more emotionally resonant connections with their audience.

Photo: Adobe Stock

January 7, 2025 by Renee Ellis — Senior Consultant, Cella by Randstad Digital

What do customers want from a brand? It all comes down to understanding a buyer's emotions and expectations as part of the customer journey. In its State of Service and State of the Connected Customer reports, Salesforce notes that customers want to know that brands know them and what they need, that a company at all points of the journey works together, they can trust the brand during times of change, and that human beings are managing AI-based services.

By understanding these emotional triggers, businesses can better design customer journeys that address these concerns, ultimately fostering stronger, more emotionally resonant connections with their audience.

Why emotions dominate customer journeys

The assertion that 95% of purchase decisions happen in the subconscious mind is often cited in marketing contexts and attributed to Gerald Zaltman, a professor at Harvard Business School, as detailed in his book "How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market." This insight underscores how emotions, rather than logic, often guide consumer behavior, positioning customers to rely heavily on emotional cues during decision-making, especially when external factors like an election amplify stress and uncertainty.

Establishing a strong baseline is crucial to ensure the customer journey is empathetic to the customer's priorities and the experience is seamless. Minor frustrations, like a glitch at checkout, can escalate into dissatisfaction when customers are emotionally heightened. Qualtrics XM reported 80% of customers have changed brands because of one bad experience. By proactively addressing these baseline emotions and developing a journey map that takes them into consideration, organizations can reduce friction, maintain trust and ensure positive brand associations despite external pressures.

For retail professionals focused on delivering seamless omnichannel experiences, personalizing journeys, and leveraging emerging technologies like AI and augmented reality, understanding the psychology behind customer journeys is crucial. By recognizing how emotions drive purchase decisions, retailers can optimize their strategies to create more meaningful customer connections.

Customer emotions and retail behavior

Emotions in customer journeys can range from positive (excitement, relief, hope or pride) to negative (disappointment, frustration or anxiety), as well as neutral or reflective (curiosity or acceptance). Heightened emotions from either end of the spectrum can carry over into consumer behavior, influencing decision-making and brand interactions. Understanding these emotional drivers is crucial, as they create both challenges and opportunities to connect meaningfully with consumers. By addressing these emotions with empathy, businesses can align their messaging and offerings to meet immediate customer needs while building long-term loyalty and community.

Forrester's research highlights the critical role of brand alignment with consumer values, and it's been recognized that consumers can be up to 1.5 times more likely to favor brands they perceive as aligned with their personal beliefs, reflecting the growing importance of trust and shared values in shaping purchasing decisions. This alignment goes beyond superficial messaging; it requires businesses to demonstrate authenticity through consistent actions, corporate responsibility, and transparent communication. When emotions are amplified, brands that acknowledge and respond to their customers' heightened sensitivities—whether through compassionate communication, relevant product offerings or clear advocacy for shared values — stand out as reliable and trustworthy.

By thoughtfully integrating emotional touch points throughout the customer journey, businesses can create more meaningful and personalized experiences. These touch points include tailored messaging that acknowledges current events, empathetic customer service interactions that address concerns, or campaigns that emphasize optimism and stability. Such approaches ensure the brand remains relevant, resonates deeply with its audience, and fosters stronger emotional connections that reinforce loyalty. In an era where consumer expectations are increasingly tied to shared values and emotional resonance, such efforts are not just advantageous—they are essential for sustained success.

The future: Combining psychology and technology

Understanding emotional dynamics is just one aspect of customer engagement. To fully capitalize on these emotional insights, brands must pair emotional intelligence with innovative technological strategies that dynamically meet evolving consumer needs. By leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and predictive analytics, retailers can create customer journeys that are not only emotionally resonant but also tailored to individual preferences and behaviors.

AI allows retailers to personalize recommendations based on past behaviors and emotional preferences, while sentiment analysis tools track emotions across social media, reviews, and customer feedback. By 2025, it is estimated that 75% of retailers are expected to utilize these tools to fine-tune messaging and align with customer emotions. Predictive analytics also plays a critical role by helping retailers anticipate emotional trends, such as heightened anxiety, allowing them to proactively adjust their strategies to meet shifting customer needs.

Augmented reality is increasingly enhancing consumer interaction with products by offering immersive, personalized experiences that merge physical and digital worlds. One notable development is emotion-responsive AR, which adapts to emotional cues like facial expressions or vocal tones. For example, an AR mirror might detect hesitation and offer a confidence-boosting message. This type of dynamic, emotionally aware technology not only enhances the experience but also reduces uncertainty — a common emotional barrier to purchase.

With these advanced technologies, retailers are better positioned to tap into the emotional drivers of consumer behavior. However, to be effective, they must prioritize empathy to address customers' emotional needs.

The process begins with revisiting and refining customer journeys, identifying emotional peaks and valleys, and transforming these moments into opportunities for deeper engagement. By focusing on emotions within the customer journey, brands can build stronger, lasting relationships that can withstand times of uncertainty and thrive in environments of positive sentiment.

About Renee Ellis

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Renee Ellis is a Senior Consultant with a demonstrated understanding of creative, studio and digital operations, process, and technologies. Leveraging 20+ years of practical experience, she guides organizations in leading creative teams, developing strategic portfolios, and embracing emerging technologies to drive innovation.

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