Do women do more research before they buy? The answer is yes, but not for the reason you might think.
Our Trust Advantage 2026 research found that most men and women check a similar number of review sources before making a purchase. The real difference comes from the extremes: women are less likely to ignore reviews altogether and more likely to check four or more sources before buying.
For marketers, that matters because it reveals two very different buyer behaviours that your review strategy must support.
Key takeaways
- Women consult an average of 2.11 review sources before buying, compared with 1.84 for men
- The main difference is in the extremes: 18.5% of men check no source vs 11.1% of women, and 17.5% of women check four or more, against 11.6% of men
- Two sources is the most common answer for both women and men, at around 39%
- Verified reviews work best when they're visible early and across multiple sources
Women check more review sources than men, especially at the extremes
In our Trust Advantage 2026 research, we asked how many review sources people look at before making a purchase. Comparing 1,521 women with 1,453 men, most people behave similarly. Regardless of gender, shoppers are by far mostly likely to check two review sources before purchasing.
|
Review sources checked |
Women |
Men |
|
None |
11.1% |
18.5% |
|
One |
16.8% |
17.0% |
|
Two |
39.5% |
38.3% |
|
Three |
15.2% |
14.7% |
|
Four or more |
17.5% |
11.6% |
The differences lie at the extremes: men are more likely to buy without looking at any review source (nearly one in five), and women are more likely to check four or more.
The key takeaway isn't that marketers need different strategies for men and women. It's that they need to support two very different buying behaviours. Some shoppers don't check reviews at all, so trust signals need to be visible before they start researching. Others compare multiple review sources before they buy, so your reviews need to be easy to find and consistent wherever they look.
Most shoppers cross-check review sources, whichever gender they are
While women are more likely to check multiple review sources, this behaviour is common across both genders.
Across all 3,000 respondents in our research:
- 85% check at least one review source before buying, rising to 91% among 18–34s
- Nearly 70% check two or more review sources
- 59% trust a brand more when it shows feedback from multiple sources
These findings suggest that checking more than one review source has become a normal part of the buying process.
For many shoppers, one source creates an initial impression, and another helps confirm it. That means being visible in more than one place is no longer a nice-to-have. It's what many buyers now expect.
Other research studies paint a similar picture
The pattern isn’t unique to our data. Independent studies point in the same direction: women are statistically more likely to consult reviews before purchase.
However, the size of the gap varies by category, suggesting brands should validate the pattern against their own customers before acting on it.
A 2019 Uberall survey of 2,111 UK adults found that 80% of women consult online review sites compared with 72% of men. BrightLocal's 2022 US research found 79% of women read reviews always or regularly, against 75% of men.
But the picture can shift by category. The same Uberall survey found men more likely than women to check reviews for automotive services and high street retail.
What do these findings mean for marketers?
Shoppers who skip reviews still need proof, and it has to reach them. Nearly one in five men and around one in nine women check no source before buying, so they might never see a review widget on your product page.
Advertising is an alternative way of reaching them. Our research found two-thirds of UK consumers (67%) prefer to buy from brands that feature genuine reviews in their ads, and a verified review logo lifts purchase intent by over 10% compared with no logo.
That data isn't split by gender or by how often people check reviews, but it points to the one place proof can reach a shopper who never goes looking.
Shoppers who check four or more sources need to see the same story everywhere. For the one in six women (and one in nine men) comparing four or more platforms, being visible in one place leaves a gap.
Buyers who cross-check look for signs that different sources provide consistent information, and 59% trust a brand more when it shows feedback from more than one source. Adding a purchaser-verified review alongside an open one lifts purchase intent to its highest measured point, 32.6%, a 2.8-point gain over relying on a single source.
Among consumers familiar with both models, purchaser-verified reviews are also twice as likely to be trusted as reviews from open platforms. With 63% of consumers worried about fake reviews before they buy, that verification is what a thorough checker is looking for.
What should marketers do next?
Three steps to consider:
- Put verified reviews in advertising and early touchpoints. Shoppers who never visit a review site still see proof.
- Add a purchaser-verified source alongside your existing ones. A shopper comparing four or more platforms then finds a consistent story.
- Split your own review and conversion data by audience where you can. Our research shows the pattern across the UK, but only your data shows how your customers behave.
For marketers, the key lesson isn't about gender. It's about making sure trust signals work for both shoppers who don't actively seek out reviews and those who compare multiple sources before making a decision.
Read the full Trust Advantage report or book a consultation to learn more.
