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One in Four Brits Say Rising Prices Have Damaged Trust in Brands, New Survey Finds

    VoM News Desk | 13 May 2026, 10:21 PM IST | Business, Featured by VoM | Follow on Google News

    Years of price hikes in the UK have reshaped everything from the weekly shop, days out, takeaways, and even energy use. Consumers are feeling the squeeze heavily as UK food prices rose by 38.6% between November 2020 and November 2025, leading more Brits to stop eating out and dialling back on branded goods as prices soar beyond budgets. 

    Now, a new survey from the Liquidation Centre of 2,000 UK adults reveals growing scepticism towards major brands, with rising prices and poor customer experiences driving a loss of trust.

    Cost pressures are driving loss of trust in major UK brands, as a study reveals the most distrusted brands

    Trust has become one of the most important factors shaping how people choose the brands they buy from. From rising prices and product quality concerns to issues around customer service and corporate behaviour, many consumers in the UK have begun to rethink where they spend their money.

    Price Is the Leading Cause of Lost Trust

    Cost is by far the biggest factor driving consumers away. Around 26% of respondents who have lost trust in a brand say high prices are the main reason.

    This places price well ahead of all other factors and underlines the continued impact of the cost of living on consumer decision-making.

    The UK’s Most Distrusted Brands, Ranked by Consumers

    RankBrandPercentage of respondents that have lost trust
    1McDonald’s15.50%
    2Tesco13.25%
    3Amazon11.55%
    4Asda10.85%
    5Primark10.85%
    6Starbucks10.60%
    7Apple8.90%
    8Greggs8.70%
    9Sainsbury’s8.55%
    10Ryanair7.95%

    The full data set can be found here. 

    Fast Food and Supermarkets Among the Hardest Hit

    Fast food and convenience brands feature heavily, with McDonald’s cited by 15.5% of respondents, followed by Tesco at 13.3% and Amazon at 11.6%.

    Supermarkets dominate the list overall, with Asda and Sainsbury’s also frequently mentioned.

    Many respondents point directly to rising costs as the reason behind their changing attitudes. One said they felt they were “paying more every week but getting less for it”, while another described prices as having “gone up without any noticeable improvement in quality”.

    Online and Tech Brands Not Immune

    Even dominant digital platforms are not shielded from changing sentiment. Amazon is cited by 11.6% of respondents, while Apple is mentioned by 8.9%.

    This suggests that convenience and brand strength alone are no longer enough to maintain loyalty in a more competitive and price conscious environment.

    Fashion and Retail Brands Reflect Shifting Priorities

    Clothing and general retail brands also feature prominently. Primark is cited by 10.9% of respondents, while WHSmith appears at 6.9%.

    Other fashion brands including Next at 6.2% and River Island at 5.9% indicate that trust is being tested across both value and mid market segments.

    Airlines Continue to Face Customer Experience Challenges

    The travel sector also shows notable levels of distrust. Ryanair is cited by 8.0% of respondents, with British Airways and easyJet both at 6.1%.

    Virgin Atlantic is mentioned by 5.1%, suggesting that issues around service and reliability continue to influence perceptions across the sector.

    This aligns with wider findings that nearly 20% of respondents cite poor customer service as a key reason for losing trust.

    Trust Increasingly Driven by Value and Experience

    Across all sectors, the findings point to a consistent trend. While 11% of respondents cite negative press or scandals, far more are influenced by direct, personal experience.

    With over 30% of trust loss linked to customer service and quality issues, and price the dominant factor, consumers are placing greater emphasis on tangible value.

    As one respondent put it, “it just does not feel worth it anymore”, a sentiment that captures the broader mood of caution and reassessment among UK consumers.

    Richard Hunt, Director at Liquidation Centre comments: 

    “People are not expecting perfection, but they do expect fairness. If prices go up, they want to feel the quality and service still justify it. When that balance disappears, trust goes with it, and once that is lost, it is very difficult to win back.

    What this shows is that consumers are paying much closer attention to the everyday value they are getting. Small frustrations add up over time, whether that is higher prices, poorer service or just feeling like standards have slipped. Brands that stay consistent and deliver what customers expect will come through this, but those that do not risk losing people for good.”

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