LocalImpact Report: 88% of Consumers Have Avoided a Business Due to Negative Reviews
LocalImpact survey of 1,068 US adults finds a rating below 4 stars is a dealbreaker for more than three-quarters of buyers, and most read at least 4 reviews before trusting a business
LocalImpact, an online reputation management platform for local businesses, released new research showing that 88% of US consumers have decided against a business after reading negative online reviews, highlighting the growing influence of online reputation on purchasing decisions.
The study, The State of Online Reviews 2026, is based on a survey of 1,068 US adults and examines how consumers read, trust, and write online reviews, and how those reviews shape their buying decisions.
The findings show that reading reviews has become a near-universal habit. 92% of consumers have read an online review in the past year, and 67% check reviews before making a purchase either often or every time.
