Press Kit: The Return of Touch

Download the latest research, infographics, expert quotes and other exclusive content across the “return of touch” movement.

Table of contents

Overview

In 2007, the launch of the iPhone redefined what it meant to touch technology. Today, screen-fatigued consumers feel oversaturated with seamless yet impersonal interactions, driving shifts in behavior and spending patterns toward tactile and sensory experiences. This pendulum swing is what we call Return of Touch.

Quad and The Harris Poll have been following this trend with a regular cadence of consumer research. The most recent study, “The New Rules of Retail Trust in the Age of AI,” explores sentiment about the newest frontier in retail and commerce: AI shopping. The findings suggest AI is changing the path to purchase, but consumer desire for tactile, in-person shopping experiences remains strong.

Download the research

The new rules of retail trust in the age of AI report cover

The New Rules of Retail Trust in the Age of AI

Transparency, fairness and control are shaping whether consumers embrace or reject AI-driven shopping experiences.

Cover for The Return of Touch Report: Holiday Shopping, Reconnected from The Harris Poll, presented by Quad

The Return of Touch Report: Holiday Shopping, Reconnected

New research reveals consumer preferences for catalog shopping and brick-and-mortar retail in 2025.

The Return of Touch Report by The Harris Poll, presented by Quad report cover

The Return of Touch Report: Reimagining Consumer Engagement in 2025

Report: Today’s consumers want more tactile and retail experiences that foster community, good vibes and deeper brand loyalty.

Key stats

AI shopping agents and brands face an impending trust cliff statistics
Shoppers are wary of personalized pricing statistics
Physical retail continues to anchor brand trust statistics
Who is using AI in the stores: Millennials lead the way statistics
Economic uncertainty is creating a more informed shopper statistics

Press releases

Online shopping via a mobile device

75% of Americans say they would lose trust in AI shopping if results were sponsored

Consumers increasingly tap agentic AI to shop, but brand trust remains strongest in physical stores.

Consumer browsing a holiday shopping catalog

‘Tis the season: 74% of consumers say in-person shopping is the best way to spark holiday spirit

Research by Quad and The Harris Poll reveals that shoppers seek tactile experiences to capture the magic of the holidays.

Consumers shopping in-person to touch and feel clothing accessories

81% of Gen Z report wishing it was easier to disconnect from digital devices

New study by The Harris Poll and Quad shows that brands should blend physical and online touchpoints to drive engagement.

What the experts are saying

Portrait of Heidi Waldusky

“AI offers real promise for efficiency and personalized service to make life easier, but any hint that AI shopping is quietly steering users toward paid influence could confirm a fear that the system isn’t on our side.”

— Heidi Waldusky, VP, Brand Marketing, Quad

“The real competitive question for physical retail isn’t whether a human can out-personalize an algorithm. It’s whether a store can create an experience compelling enough to earn the visit…The stores that win will be the ones worth showing up to and smart enough to let AI take it from there.”

— Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer, The Harris Poll

Portrait of Libby Rodney

Research methodology

  1. This report is based on a custom survey that was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll February 5 to 7, 2026, among 2,180 American adults aged 18 and over.
  2. This research comprises 370 Gen Z (ages 18–29), 715 Millennials (ages 30–45), 560 Gen X (ages 46–61) and 535 Boomers (ages 62 and older).

  1. This report is based on a custom survey that was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll between September 18 to 20, 2025, among 2,105 American adults aged 18 and over.
  2. This research comprises 360 Gen Z (ages 18-28), 629 Millennials (ages 29-44), 547 Gen X (ages 45-60) and 569 Boomers (ages 61 and older).

  1. This survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Quad from January 16 to February 5, 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 2,068 U.S. adults.
  2. This research is comprised of 125 Gen Z (ages 18-28), 492 Millennials (ages 29-44), 571 Gen X (ages 45-60), 806 Boomers (ages 61-79) and 74 Silent/Greatest (ages 80 and older).
  3. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3 percentage points using a 95% confidence interval. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.
  4. Throughout the report, respondents are interchangeably called Americans / consumers, with both terms referring to the total sample from the survey.

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Contact our PR team

Press inquiries or interview requests? Looking for specific information? Contact our team at PR@quad.com.