Gen Z Is Driving a Rebound in Brand Loyalty, New CivicScience Study Finds

Analysis of more than one million U.S. adults finds emotional connection, not price or quality, explains most of the difference in loyalty between consumer groups.

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Self-reported brand loyalty among U.S. adults has reversed a decade-long decline, according to a study released today by CivicScience, and the reversal is being led by the age group marketers have long written off as the least loyal.

The share of U.S. adults who describe themselves as "very loyal" to their favorite brands rose from 31% in 2020 to 36% in 2026. Among adults under 35, the increase was roughly three times that of the general population. In 2020, brand loyalty peaked among 45- to 54-year-olds. By December 2025, it peaked among 18- to 24-year-olds, at 46%.

The study, based on responses from more than one million U.S. adults surveyed between January 2020 and January 2026, also finds that the drivers sustaining loyalty have shifted. Across 23 demographic groups, emotional connection to brands accounts for as much as 90% of the variation in self-reported loyalty. Service accounts for roughly half. Price and deals account for 10%. Quality accounts for 2%.

"For decades, it was believed that brand loyalty is something consumers age into. It's simply not true anymore," said John Dick, Founder and CEO of CivicScience. "This study has major implications for how companies prioritize brand over performance marketing and where those dollars are best spent."

Additional findings:

• Loyalty is no longer zero-sum. While average consumers report having fewer favorite brands than they did a few years ago, brand loyalists report having more. Eighty-five percent say they are loyal to multiple brands in at least a few categories.
• Young consumers are the exception. Adults 18 to 24 stand apart as both the most loyal and the most category-exclusive consumers, tending to commit to one brand, or a few, within a given category. The brand that wins them early may lock competitors out.
• Mindset predicts loyalty better than demographics. Of 160 attributes tested, the strongest predictors were attitudinal. Consumers who follow markets and the economy closely are 19 percentage points more likely than average to describe themselves as "very loyal."
• Naming the connection breaks it. In a CivicScience experiment, consumers asked about loyalty in explicitly identity-based terms were measurably less likely to describe themselves as "very loyal" than those asked a neutral version of the same question.

The full study is available for access by clicking here.

About CivicScience

CivicScience is an advertising and analytics platform built on the world's largest database of real-time consumer sentiment and declared intent.

Powered by revolutionary, AI-enabled survey technology engaging millions of U.S. respondents every week, CivicScience enables leading brands to activate and measure high-performing advertising across a private marketplace of premium digital, online video, and connected TV.

CivicScience's advertising partners can reach custom audiences of over 150 million consumer profiles in brand-safe environments, achieving superior marketing outcomes and deep strategic insights.

CivicScience's media partners earn incremental revenue, increase user engagement, and gather unique first-party data to support ad sales and editorial.

CivicScience's survey respondents enjoy more personalized content experiences and a convenient way to influence culture and commerce.

CivicScience: Real Voices. Superior Advertising. Thriving Media. Responsible AI.

SOURCE CivicScience