Kate Delaney, VP Marketing at Trustpilot, explains how reviews can act as a “early-warning system” for operational blindspots that, if left untackled, can prevent retailers from getting the most out of peak season.
Many retailers are launching earlier than ever for peak season, with this August seeing both John Lewis and Liberty London open pre-orders for their 2026 Beauty Advent Calendar. While most retailers have been honing their strategy for months, this move could be a sign that peak season has truly begun.
With higher sales comes greater difficulty in providing satisfactory deliveries and returns. Last year over 16 million people were met with postal delays over Christmas. But the impact on consumer trust lasts well after festive celebrations end. In the UK, Trustpilot found that 82% of December’s reviews volume continues into January, as the holiday rush gives way to post-Christmas returns and customer feedback. Brands can use past reviews as an extended opportunity to build trust with consumers after the rush of peak season and maintain healthy trust signals moving into the new year.
Delivery is key to the buying experience
Consumer expectations extend beyond the product itself to encompass the entire buying experience, including returns. During the festive season, those expectations are even higher as order volumes surge. Trustpilot data found that, in the UK, next-day delivery is the most complained-about fulfilment service, with an average rating of just 1.74 out of 5 across UK retailers.
Globally, delivery is one of the most criticised aspects of retail experiences, and is the most frequent topic of reviews for retail businesses on Trustpilot. As one of the final touchpoints in the customer journey, delivery can significantly impact how consumers perceive a retailer.
Looking beyond fast delivery
Retailers are continually looking to gain a competitive edge through delivery speed, often promising next-day or even same-day delivery. But if broken, these promises can lead to more damage to brand trust. Lost packages have a much greater impact on overall ratings, with reviews mentioning lost packages receiving star ratings roughly 0.9 – 1.0 points lower than those relating to delivery speed. While fast delivery matters, this is outweighed by the inconvenience of not receiving a delivery on the expected date.
The priority should therefore not simply be to deliver faster, but to build the operational capability to manage peak order volumes while maintaining a consistent and reliable customer experience. Reviews and feedback trends can act as an early-warning system, helping identify blind spots where the customer experience can be improved.
But the customer experience doesn’t end at delivery. Post-purchase care – especially the returns process – is also a major factor in overall satisfaction. UK reviews often cite“no hassle returns” as the standard for excellent service. Returns are therefore a key part of the customer experience and an opportunity to build trust and encourage repeat purchases.
Trust begins at discovery, not delivery
Consumers are increasingly turning to AI tools to make purchase decisions, using their recommendations to speed up the discovery process. When faced with delivery or product issues, consumers frequently admit they “should have read the reviews” ahead of purchase. Trained to deliver the most relevant and useful information users are most likely to need for a given task, AI systems are following this behaviour and using reviews as one of the key sources to check when making a recommendation.
Our own research found that brands that actively collect and respond to feedback will get 75 times more AI citations than those that don’t. Thanks to the volume of authentic customer comments, review and trust websites are now the second most common citation source for the major AI models.
Customer feedback therefore has a far greater influence than ever before. It no longer solely determines whether an individual shopper makes a repeat purchase; it can also influence whether a brand is included in an AI answer at all.
Looking beyond the transaction
For retailers, peak trading has always been the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity of the year. As leading brands launch earlier to maximise demand, reviews can support a more agile approach to maintaining customer satisfaction by helping brands pre-empt recurring issues across delivery and returns.
The retailers that earn long-term loyalty from peak season this year will look beyond the sale. Every interaction after checkout can build trust, encourage repeat purchases and influence AI visibility. Combining review insights with strong post-purchase services can help retailers address challenges early, build customer trust and carry momentum into the new year.
Stay informed
Our editor carefully curates two newsletters a week filled with up-to-date news, analysis and research. Click here to subscribe to the FREE newsletter sent straight to your inbox. Why not follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on our research and analysis?
You are in: Home » Guest Comment » GUEST COMMENT Peak season is here: how reviews can help retailers win this year’s festive season
GUEST COMMENT Peak season is here: how reviews can help retailers win this year’s festive season
Kate Delaney
Kate Delaney, VP Marketing at Trustpilot, explains how reviews can act as a “early-warning system” for operational blindspots that, if left untackled, can prevent retailers from getting the most out of peak season.
Many retailers are launching earlier than ever for peak season, with this August seeing both John Lewis and Liberty London open pre-orders for their 2026 Beauty Advent Calendar. While most retailers have been honing their strategy for months, this move could be a sign that peak season has truly begun.
With higher sales comes greater difficulty in providing satisfactory deliveries and returns. Last year over 16 million people were met with postal delays over Christmas. But the impact on consumer trust lasts well after festive celebrations end. In the UK, Trustpilot found that 82% of December’s reviews volume continues into January, as the holiday rush gives way to post-Christmas returns and customer feedback. Brands can use past reviews as an extended opportunity to build trust with consumers after the rush of peak season and maintain healthy trust signals moving into the new year.
Delivery is key to the buying experience
Consumer expectations extend beyond the product itself to encompass the entire buying experience, including returns. During the festive season, those expectations are even higher as order volumes surge. Trustpilot data found that, in the UK, next-day delivery is the most complained-about fulfilment service, with an average rating of just 1.74 out of 5 across UK retailers.
Globally, delivery is one of the most criticised aspects of retail experiences, and is the most frequent topic of reviews for retail businesses on Trustpilot. As one of the final touchpoints in the customer journey, delivery can significantly impact how consumers perceive a retailer.
Looking beyond fast delivery
Retailers are continually looking to gain a competitive edge through delivery speed, often promising next-day or even same-day delivery. But if broken, these promises can lead to more damage to brand trust. Lost packages have a much greater impact on overall ratings, with reviews mentioning lost packages receiving star ratings roughly 0.9 – 1.0 points lower than those relating to delivery speed. While fast delivery matters, this is outweighed by the inconvenience of not receiving a delivery on the expected date.
The priority should therefore not simply be to deliver faster, but to build the operational capability to manage peak order volumes while maintaining a consistent and reliable customer experience. Reviews and feedback trends can act as an early-warning system, helping identify blind spots where the customer experience can be improved.
But the customer experience doesn’t end at delivery. Post-purchase care – especially the returns process – is also a major factor in overall satisfaction. UK reviews often cite“no hassle returns” as the standard for excellent service. Returns are therefore a key part of the customer experience and an opportunity to build trust and encourage repeat purchases.
Trust begins at discovery, not delivery
Consumers are increasingly turning to AI tools to make purchase decisions, using their recommendations to speed up the discovery process. When faced with delivery or product issues, consumers frequently admit they “should have read the reviews” ahead of purchase. Trained to deliver the most relevant and useful information users are most likely to need for a given task, AI systems are following this behaviour and using reviews as one of the key sources to check when making a recommendation.
Our own research found that brands that actively collect and respond to feedback will get 75 times more AI citations than those that don’t. Thanks to the volume of authentic customer comments, review and trust websites are now the second most common citation source for the major AI models.
Customer feedback therefore has a far greater influence than ever before. It no longer solely determines whether an individual shopper makes a repeat purchase; it can also influence whether a brand is included in an AI answer at all.
Looking beyond the transaction
For retailers, peak trading has always been the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity of the year. As leading brands launch earlier to maximise demand, reviews can support a more agile approach to maintaining customer satisfaction by helping brands pre-empt recurring issues across delivery and returns.
The retailers that earn long-term loyalty from peak season this year will look beyond the sale. Every interaction after checkout can build trust, encourage repeat purchases and influence AI visibility. Combining review insights with strong post-purchase services can help retailers address challenges early, build customer trust and carry momentum into the new year.
Stay informed
Our editor carefully curates two newsletters a week filled with up-to-date news, analysis and research. Click here to subscribe to the FREE newsletter sent straight to your inbox. Why not follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on our research and analysis?
Read More
You may also like
Subscribe to our email community