What Makes Shoppers Trust a New Clothing Brand? 2026 Survey Data
Every new clothing brand has the same problem: nobody knows you yet. So what makes a shopper trust a brand they have never heard of? And what makes them leave before they even look at your products? In our 2026 Clothing Brand Survey, 38 shoppers told us.
The answers are refreshingly practical. Shoppers want proof from other buyers, a website that looks professional and prices they understand. Below you find every result. This is the smallest group in our survey, so we show the number of shoppers next to each percentage. These are interim results, collected up to 12 November 2026.
Customer Trust at a Glance
- 68% of shoppers need reviews, real customer photos or both before they trust a new brand.
- 45% leave a new brand’s website right away if it looks cheap or unprofessional.
- 55% would pay at most €50 for a hoodie from a brand they do not know.
- 63% are open to paying more for a small brand, but for many that depends on knowing its story.
How Often Shoppers Buy From Unknown Brands
| Buys from an unknown brand (n=38) | Shoppers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| A few times a year | 12 | 32% |
| Once a year or less | 12 | 32% |
| Never | 10 | 26% |
| About once a month | 1 | 3% |
| More than once a month | 3 | 8% |
Buying from a new brand is a rare event for most people. That makes every visitor valuable. If they leave, it may be months before they try a new brand again.
What Makes Shoppers Trust a New Brand
Shoppers could pick up to 3 answers.
| Trust signal (n=38) | Shoppers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Customer reviews on the website | 14 | 37% |
| Real photos from other customers | 12 | 32% |
| Clear contact details and company info | 11 | 29% |
| Reviews on Trustpilot or Google | 9 | 24% |
| A professional-looking website | 8 | 21% |
| A clear return and refund policy | 7 | 18% |
| An active social media account | 5 | 13% |
| A recommendation from a friend | 5 | 13% |
| Trusted payment methods | 4 | 11% |
| An influencer they trust wearing it | 1 | 3% |
| Other | 6 | 16% |
Proof from other buyers wins by far: 26 of the 38 shoppers picked reviews, real customer photos or both. Clear contact details come third, which costs nothing to add. Influencers barely matter here, with only 1 shopper picking them. Our article on trust signals and social proof explains how to collect this proof as a new brand.
What Makes Shoppers Leave Right Away
| Reason to leave (n=38) | Shoppers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| It looks cheap or unprofessional | 17 | 45% |
| No reviews anywhere | 14 | 37% |
| Too many pop-ups | 13 | 34% |
| Prices are too high or unclear | 11 | 29% |
| The website loads slowly | 8 | 21% |
| High or hidden shipping costs | 6 | 16% |
| No clear return policy | 4 | 11% |
| Poor product photos | 4 | 11% |
| Hard to use on a phone | 2 | 5% |
| Other | 7 | 18% |
First impressions decide a lot. A cheap look is the top reason to leave. Missing reviews come second, which mirrors the trust results above. Pop-ups are a big irritation too, so read our tips on email capture and pop-ups before you add one. And make sure your website design looks as good as your products.
Unclear prices and shipping costs also cost sales. That matches the checkout research of the Baymard Institute, where extra costs such as shipping top the list of reasons to abandon a cart.
What Shoppers Will Pay
| Maximum price for a hoodie from an unknown brand (n=38) | Shoppers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Up to €30 | 13 | 34% |
| €30 to €50 | 8 | 21% |
| €50 to €75 | 4 | 11% |
| €75 to €100 | 4 | 11% |
| More than €100 | 2 | 5% |
| Would not buy from an unknown brand | 7 | 18% |
Most shoppers set a low ceiling for a brand they do not know. Still, 10 of them (26%) would pay more than €50. Age seems to matter: 5 of the 7 shoppers who would not buy at all are 55 or older. Our guide to pricing your clothing helps you decide where to position yourself.
Will Shoppers Pay More for a Small Brand?
| Pay more for the same item from a small brand? (n=38) | Shoppers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Only if I know the story behind the brand | 10 | 26% |
| Yes, slightly more | 9 | 24% |
| Yes, significantly more | 5 | 13% |
| No, I would pay the same | 5 | 13% |
| No, I expect small brands to be cheaper | 9 | 24% |
In total, 63% are open to paying more for a small brand. For the largest group, though, that depends on knowing the story behind it. A clear about page and a visible brand story are not extras. They are part of your price.
Does It Matter Where Clothing Is Made?
For most shoppers it does. 32% call it very important and another 34% say it can influence their choice. Only 21% never check where their clothing is made. If your production story is a strength, show it.
Where Shoppers Discover New Brands
Google Search was the most common place where shoppers last found a new clothing brand (26%), followed by organic Instagram (13%). None of them named TikTok. We compare this with what brand owners and founders say in our article on marketing channels for clothing brands.
What This Means for Your Brand
- Collect proof from your first orders. Ask every early buyer for a review and a photo of them wearing your product.
- Fix the first impression. A clean, fast website with good photos removes the most common reason to leave.
- Be clear about money. Show prices and shipping costs early, so nobody is surprised at checkout.
- Tell your story. Many shoppers will pay more for a small brand, but only if they know why it exists.
More From the 2026 Survey
This article is part of the 2026 Clothing Brand Survey. More results from the same survey:
- Which marketing channels work best for clothing brands
- How long it takes a clothing brand to become profitable
- Advice from brand owners for new founders
About This Data
These numbers come from the 2026 Clothing Brand Survey, an anonymous online survey on our site. Respondents chose to take part themselves, and the shopper group is small, so read the numbers as a direction rather than a rule. You can find the methodology, every table and the full questionnaire in the main 2026 results, and every edition on the Clothing Brand Survey page.
Frequently Asked Questions about Customer Trust in New Clothing Brands
Proof from other buyers. In our 2026 Clothing Brand Survey, 68% of shoppers picked customer reviews, real customer photos or both as a reason to trust a brand they had never heard of.
The most common reason in our survey was a website that looks cheap or unprofessional (45%), followed by having no reviews anywhere (37%) and too many pop-ups (34%).
In our survey, 55% of shoppers would pay at most €50 for a hoodie from a brand they had never heard of. 26% would pay more than €50, and 18% would not buy from an unknown brand at all.
Many will. 63% of shoppers in our survey were open to paying more for a small brand, but the largest group said that only applies if they know the story behind the brand.
