Reviews play a central role in the path to purchase, and many consumers don’t just skim them before purchasing—or passing on—a product. Some will spend anywhere from a few minutes to more than an hour to make sure they’re making the right choice.
According to a November 2019 survey from Brightlocal, millennials were more likely to spend a substantial amount of time reading reviews than older cohorts. While nearly half of US internet users ages 18 to 34 said they spent fewer than 10 minutes, almost a third spent more than 25 minutes.
This group was also more likely to devote more than an hour to reading reviews before making a purchase decision. Some 7% of respondents ages 18 to 34 said they did, whereas fewer respondents ages 35 to 54 (2%) and those ages 55 and older (1%) agreed.