The Future of Customer Buying Habits, they are closer than you think

The WHO2 Global view.

Over the next decade, customer buying behaviour will shift away from traditional “shopping” and toward delegation, automation, and embedded decision making.

Customers will still care deeply about price and value, but they will expect far less effort, far less administration, and far more support wrapped around the purchase.

The biggest change is not what customers buy, but how little friction they will tolerate in order to stay properly covered.

This article explores where customers will buy, how they will buy, what they will buy, and the forces shaping everything in between.

WHERE CUSTOMERS WILL BUY

Conversation will become the front door.

Customers will increasingly start buying journeys inside chat based and voice based environments rather than browsing websites. AI assistants and conversational tools will generate shortlists, explain differences, and often complete purchases within the same interaction. Insurance comparison will still exist, but it will happen inside conversations rather than across dozens of tabs.

Price comparison websites will remain important but will evolve.

In the UK, comparison sites will continue to drive volume, but their role will change. They will become decision platforms rather than simple price tables. Expect more suitability driven ranking, pre filled journeys, smarter recommendations, and deeper integration with partners and AI tools. PCWs will increasingly act as infrastructure rather than destinations.

Buying will be embedded inside other purchases.

Customers will buy protection where risk appears. Car insurance at vehicle purchase, travel cover at booking, gadget cover at checkout, renters cover at tenancy sign up, and home insurance during a move. Insurance becomes part of the transaction, not a separate job.

Membership ecosystems will become major buying channels.

Customers trust brands they already belong to. Banks, retailers, travel brands, fintech apps, workplace benefits platforms, and subscription services will increasingly distribute insurance within their ecosystems. Membership acts as a trust wrapper that reduces perceived complexity.

Social and creator led discovery will influence buying decisions.

Education led content on social platforms will drive discovery, with seamless transitions into purchase journeys. Even regulated products will be bought this way, provided the experience is simple, transparent, and supported.

HOW CUSTOMERS WILL BUY

The dominant journey will be shortlist, verify, subscribe.

Shortlists will be created by platforms or assistants based on needs, budget, and history. Customers will then verify choices using reviews, transparency, and trust signals. Final purchase will increasingly be subscription based or bundled rather than a one off transaction.

Agent led buying will become normal.

Customers will authorise systems to manage cover on their behalf. Instead of shopping annually, customers will ask tools to keep them insured, maintain fair value, and intervene only when meaningful changes occur.

Form filling will shrink dramatically.

Permissioned data, pre filled journeys, and real time validation will replace long questionnaires. Customers will exchange data for convenience, provided trust and value are clear. Think, a Passport for insurance.

Support will feel continuous, not reactive.

Customers will expect always on support, plain English explanations, proactive communication, and fast resolution. Traditional “contact us” models will feel outdated.

Renewals will shift from annual events to continuous optimisation.Cover will adjust dynamically as circumstances change. Customers will only be asked to engage when a genuine decision is required.

WHAT PRODUCTS CUSTOMERS WILL BUY

Subscription based protection will dominate.

Customers will prefer flexible, modular cover that adapts month to month. Membership style protection bundles will feel more natural than rigid annual contracts.

Core cover will become simpler, with meaningful bolt ons.

Products will focus on doing the basics well, with optional add ons that reflect real life needs such as legal cover, breakdown, excess protection, home emergency, and device cover.

Embedded and micro cover products will grow.

Short term and event based protection will be purchased instantly, often invisibly, as part of another transaction.

Usage based and behavior based pricing will expand.

Where benefits are clear and rules are fair, customers will accept pricing linked to behaviour or usage.

Prevention led propositions will increase.

Customers will value services that help avoid problems, fix issues quickly, and reduce disruption. Monitoring, maintenance networks, rapid repair, and concierge style claims handling will become core features.

TRUST, VALUE, AND PROOF

Trust will become measurable.

In an AI driven buying world, proof matters. Verified reviews, claims outcomes, complaint handling, clarity of cover, and renewal fairness will all influence recommendations and decisions.

Brand will matter differently.

Brand will signal certainty, fairness, and support rather than awareness alone. Customers will choose brands that feel safe when something goes wrong.

WHAT SHOULD INSURERS AND BROKERS BE BUILDING FOR THIS FUTURE (THE NOW)

Build for multiple distribution lanes.

Think, direct customers, comparison platforms, embedded partners, and AI driven commerce simultaneously, not sequentially.

Be easy to verify.

Clear product structures, transparent pricing, simple wording, and visible service outcomes will matter more than marketing messages.

Create modular products.

A small library of core policies, add on modules, service components, and partner bundles will allow fast assembly across channels.

Make service the differentiator.

Quoting will be commoditised. Speed to change, speed to claim, ease of support, and quality of outcomes will define winners.

THE SIMPLE PREDICTION

Customers will not ask where to buy insurance. They will ask someone or something to keep it sorted, keep it fair, and step in only when it matters.

Ask yourselves, are your businesses still trying to deliver projects to solve 2024 issues or 2028 opportunities. Not every participant will get a medal in this race. 

The views expressed in this article are those of WHO2 Global Ltd and do not constitute professional advice. All content is for informational purposes only.