The Return of Touch: The trend reshaping consumer behavior

After years of digital saturation, consumers are turning to physical experiences. Quad has been tracking this paradigm shift through a series of original research reports in partnership with The Harris Poll, as well as ongoing analysis, marketer insights and tactical advice for brands.

Happy consumer holds multiple shopping bags over their shoulder
The new rules of retail trust in the age of AI report cover

AI shopping and the future of retail trust

The latest research from The Harris Poll, presented by Quad, reveals that AI shopping and the desire for more IRL brand experiences are actually part of the same emerging consumer behavioral trend.

Key statistics from the research

78% of Americans prefer in-person social existence to digital-only

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76% of consumers feel that physical retail experiences help them connect more deeply with people and brands

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72% of Gen Z and millennials wish more brands focused on surprising them through mail

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Original research and market insights

Access all the reports in The Harris Poll’s “Return of Touch” series, plus key market insights and seasonal data.

Consumer shopping online while surrounded by their purchases

Lookbook: The retail marketing trends shaping 2026

Consumer browsing a holiday shopping catalog

The return of touch report: Holiday shopping, reconnected

Consumer at home shopping via a mobile device

The trends reshaping brand-consumer dynamics

Consumers shopping in-person to touch and feel clothing accessories

The return of touch report: Reimagining consumer engagement

In the news

Read how major media outlets are covering the shift in consumer behavior.

Brands look to experiential marketing as antidote to AI slop

Consumers value physical retail, tactile experiences & digital detoxes

Holiday catalogs making a comeback this season

What the experts are saying

Portrait of Heidi Waldusky

“AI is rewriting how people discover and compare, but it hasn’t replaced how they feel and decide.”

— Heidi Waldusky, VP, Brand Marketing, Quad

A pink postal envelope on a pink background

Direct mail ➜

A stack of magazines and catalogs on a green background

Print ➜

Beverage packaging carrier on a yellow background

Packaging ➜

A desk with a large monitor showing test results via a line graph

Research & testing ➜

In-store display solutions

In-store ➜

Company branded winter caps on a blue background

Branded goods ➜

A pink postal envelope on a pink background

Direct mail ➜

A stack of magazines and catalogs on a green background

Print ➜

A desk with a large monitor showing test results via a line graph

Research & testing ➜

Beverage packaging carrier on a yellow background

Packaging ➜

In-store display solutions

In-store ➜

Company branded winter caps on a blue background

Branded goods ➜

A pink postal envelope on a pink background

Direct mail ➜

A stack of magazines and catalogs on a green background

Print ➜

Beverage packaging carrier on a yellow background

Packaging ➜

In-store display solutions

In-store ➜

A desk with a large monitor showing test results via a line graph

Research & testing ➜

Company branded winter caps on a blue background

Branded goods ➜

Key insights for marketers who demand results

Find out how to leverage the growing consumer desire for tangible experiences into measurable, omnichannel growth.

Someone reading the last three Return of Touch pieces while also consuming media and setting on fractile shaped furniture.

Inside the “Return of Touch”: Marketing lessons from three waves of research

Skeptical consumer hold a mobile device and shipment package

The rise of AI shopping — and the looming “trust cliff” brands can’t ignore

USPS mailbox overflowing with mail pieces

3 direct mail marketing mistakes brands must avoid

Interested in spreading the word?

View our Return of Touch press kit, or contact our team at PR@quad.com.