Often seen as defining the modern lifestyle, consumer electronic purchases are rarely casual. Order values are higher, purchases are typically considered rather than impulsive, and the products themselves are complex enough that buyers can’t rely on instinct alone.
Reviews close that trust gap. In fact, 54% of UK electronics buyers say they always check them before purchasing, according to Feefo's Trust Advantage 2026 research. Yet most brands still confine customer reviews to product pages – leaving a major advertising opportunity untapped.
Electronics purchases carry higher stakes for consumers than most retail categories. High prices, product complexity, and the hassle of returns means getting it wrong is both costly and inconvenient. Reviews play a critical role in reducing uncertainty, giving buyers the confidence to commit.
At the same time, trust in reviews is under pressure. A 2023 UK government study estimated that 11–15% of consumer electronics reviews on major UK ecommerce platforms weren’t genuine, while 76% of consumers believe fake reviews damage a brand’s reputation. It’s a strong reason electronics buyers increasingly demand verification.
The behaviour is remarkably consistent. Across demographics and regions, consumers always check for consumer electronics reviews ahead of any other category of purchase, with two exceptions: among 18–24s, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where it ranks just behind travel. The key takeaway is that reviews aren’t a niche influence for electronics – they are a default tool for making purchase decisions.
That behaviour makes this a significant commercial issue, as well a trust one.
The UK consumer electronics market was valued at $45.35 billion (£33.91 billion) in 2025 and is projected to reach $67.51 billion (£50.29 billion) by 2034, growing from $47.40 billion (£35.30 billion) in 2026.
Brand competition is intense. Currys – a Feefo customer – holds the leading share among specialist electronics brands at 25%, followed by CEX (10%), followed by EE, Apple and Vodafone (MediaVision). In a market this contested, visible trust signals are one of the few differentiators a buyer can see before they click.
Pressure on the wider review ecosystem isn’t unique to electronics, but it has greater impact in categories where scrutiny is already high. Open platforms are struggling to keep pace:
At the same time, performance pressure is increasing:
Every click is becoming more expensive and less likely to convert. Which means that unverified reviews are actively undermining media performance at the point where trust should increase conversion.
Most electronics businesses are already using reviews – but only at point of purchase. Reviews sit on the product page, rarely appearing in the advertising that brings customers there in the first place.
That’s the gap: the social proof exists, but it’s appearing too late in the journey.
Our Trust Advantage 2026 research found that two-thirds of UK consumers prefer to buy from brands that feature genuine reviews in their advertising. Adding a verified review logo lifts purchase intent by over 10%+, compared to no review logo.
This is where marketing leaders can take a difference approach: extending verified review content already on the product page across TV, paid social, direct mail and out-of-home. In a category where trust is constantly under scrutiny, this consistency turns existing content into a signal that works across the entire purchase journey, not just at the final step.
This is more than theoretical.
Electronics buyers are already among the most careful users of reviews in retail. The difference is where brands choose to present their proof. With 4 of the top 7 UK electronics retailers already using Feefo, verified reviews have become a baseline. The brands pulling ahead are those bringing that same proof into their advertising, not just their product pages.
As acquisition costs continue to rise and conversion rates continue to fall, it’s one of the few levers for improving performance without increasing spend.
Read the full Trust Advantage report or book a consultation to learn more.