Qualtrics finds that poor experiences put nearly $3 trillion in global sales at risk. With 47% of bad moments resulting in cut spending, brands must treat CX as a financial strategy, not just fluff.
A new consumer research study estimates that companies worldwide stand to lose nearly $3 trillion in sales in 2026 due to consistently poor customer experiences. The analysis, conducted by the Qualtrics XM Institute, suggests that consumers will cut back on approximately $2.1 trillion of their spending and entirely cease spending $865 billion with organizations that deliver substandard service.
The findings underscore the financial costs associated with customer dissatisfaction, highlighting the importance of strong customer service as a critical measure for revenue protection.
Regional Impact and Key Findings
The study, based on a global consumer survey, calculated the total “sales at risk” by multiplying the frequency of poor experiences by the percentage of those experiences that result in reduced spending.
The research highlighted significant regional variations in sales vulnerability:
- Highest Rate of Sales at Risk: Organizations in Mexico face the highest percentage of potential losses, with 8% of total sales deemed at risk due to poor experiences.
- Lowest Rate of Sales at Risk: Japanese organizations registered the lowest rate, at $2.
- Highest Value at Risk: Due to the size of its consumer market, the United States leads in total financial value at risk, totaling $973 billion—nearly a trillion dollars.
- Lowest Value at Risk: Organizations in New Zealand risk the least in total dollar value, at $6.6 billion.
The research found that globally, $11 of consumer experiences are deemed poor, a rate that remained essentially unchanged from the previous year. However, consumers were less likely to cut spending after a bad experience this year, doing so in only 47% of instances, down eight percentage points from the previous study. Consumers were most likely to cut spending after poor experiences in fast food (62%) and online retail (58%).
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Methodology and Context
The $3 trillion global estimate was calculated by multiplying the “sales at risk” percentage for each of the 14 countries studied by that country’s total consumption in U.S. dollars, as reported by the World Bank.
The study’s authors noted that the 14 countries analyzed represent 57% of the world’s global household consumption. The final global projection assumes that the rate of sales at risk remains consistent for the rest of the world.
The current global estimate of $3 trillion is lower than the $3.8 trillion projected in the institute’s previous year’s analysis. This change was attributed primarily to the decreased likelihood of consumers cutting spending after a bad experience, as well as a more selective sampling strategy that included fewer countries and industries this year.
