Alter Agents Tracking Study Finds Americans Entering a "Trust Recession" as Trust, Optimism and Spending Confidence Decline

Newest wave of consumer sentiment research reveals 73% of Americans are cutting nonessential spending while consumers grow more skeptical, cautious and deliberate about purchase decisions

LOS ANGELES, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Alter Agents, a full-service strategic market research consultancy, today released new findings from its ongoing Consumer Sentiment Study, revealing how years of economic disruption, political instability and technological change are reshaping how Americans shop, evaluate brands and make decisions.

The latest wave of the research points to what Alter Agents describes as a growing "trust recession," where consumers are spending more time questioning recommendations, seeking reassurance and looking for proof before making purchase decisions.

The findings show consumers becoming more cautious across nearly every aspect of the shopper journey. Seventy-three percent of Americans say they are reducing nonessential spending, 42% are postponing or canceling major life events and 34% report cutting back even on essentials.

The research also found a sharp decline in long-term optimism compared to Alter Agents' pre-pandemic tracking. Earlier waves of the study found 81% of Americans believed their future would improve over time. That sentiment has fallen significantly as consumers navigate inflation, global instability, distrust in institutions and uncertainty surrounding AI and digital information environments.

"Consumers are not reacting to a single crisis in isolation," said Rebecca Brooks, CEO of Alter Agents. "They are navigating economic pressure, information overload, declining institutional trust and rapid technological change all at the same time. That combination is fundamentally changing how people evaluate products, brands and even the information surrounding them."

The nationally representative U.S. study also found:

• Consumers say shopping feels more stressful and cognitively demanding than in previous waves of the study
• One in three consumers report making deliberate shopping trade-offs such as switching to lower-priced brands or buying private label products
• Only 29% of consumers believe companies are open and honest about their business practices
• Only 28% believe companies are transparent with consumers

The findings suggest consumers are becoming more pragmatic and trust-sensitive as shopping grows more cognitively demanding amid nonstop recommendations, fragmented information environments and skepticism around reviews, retailers and AI-generated content.

"We are seeing consumers move away from aspirational purchasing and toward more defensive decision-making," said Heather O'Shea, Chief Research Officer at Alter Agents. "Consumers are looking for reassurance, transparency and confidence that they are making the right choice. For brands, the challenge is no longer simply reducing friction or accelerating conversion. It is helping people feel informed, supported and certain in an environment where trust feels harder to find."

Alter Agents has tracked consumer sentiment since 2019, studying how major societal and economic disruptions influence shopping behavior, confidence and attitudes toward brands. The research spans the pre-pandemic optimism era, COVID-19 and social upheaval, inflation and political polarization, and today's environment shaped by tariffs, economic pressure and AI-driven uncertainty.

Read more about the study here: https://alteragents.com/the-trust-recession-how-shoppers-navigate-uncertainty/

About Alter Agents
Alter Agents is a full-service strategic market research consultancy reimagining research in an era of shifting decision making. Deep creative thinking and innovative solutions help Alter Agents' clients understand consumer needs. The Alter Agents team believes that research must adapt to help brands overcome challenges brought by trends like shopper promiscuity and brand narcissism. The company's immersive approach and unique methodology has helped brands such Snapchat, YouTube, Audacy, Viking Cruises, Pinterest and more gain powerful, actionable insights. More at www.alteragents.com.

Media contact:
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SOURCE Alter Agents