In 2026, brands must find the right balance of friction to craft the optimal shopper experience, removing as many barriers to purchase as possible, while intentionally leaving, or even adding, just enough friction to fuel the thrill of the chase.
The quest for frictionless shopping
As platforms continue to shrink the journey from inspiration to transaction, they relentlessly work to eliminate friction. Each week seems to bring new innovations in the name of convenience.
Amazon recently introduced Lens Live, allowing shoppers to use their smartphones to instantly scan products, get realtime matches, and add items directly to their carts or wish lists. The retail giant also announced that Prime members in the United States can now shop perishable groceries including produce, dairy and meat alongside Amazon’s same-day selection, with plans to expand to 2,300 cities by the end of 2025.
Online checkout may also soon look very different as generative AI continues to make its way into commerce. Perplexity users can already complete purchases instantly using PayPal or Venmo when shopping for products, booking travel or buying tickets. Similar partnerships between payment providers and generative AI platforms are likely to emerge in 2026.
From improved discoverability to easier checkout to faster deliveries, the removal of friction at every stage of the shopping journey adds up to a significantly more convenient experience for consumers. It also raises the bar for brands, which must consider how to eliminate pain points along the path to purchase as well.
Hard-to-get piques interest
Not all friction is detrimental to the customer experience. In fact, many brands across diverse industries are leveraging friction as a competitive advantage.
In fashion, appointment-only shopping and drop strategies are used to create a more personal or exclusive shopping experience. For example, Knitwrth, a producer of small-batch woolen items, announces the release dates of its collections weeks in advance. These items typically sell out quickly, even with a strict noreturn, no exchange and no refund policy.
The retailer Trader Joe’s offers no online shopping, no curbside pickup, and no delivery service (including through third-party platforms like Instacart). This deliberate, uncompromising approach requires customers to shop in store, where they can engage with staff and discover new products firsthand. It is precisely this experience that makes Trader Joe’s brand distinctive and highly sought after, so much so that, in 2025, its tote bag has become a must-have accessory in cities like London despite the brand having no presence there.
Apos, a retailer specializing in audio gear, lists products that have not yet been manufactured, available for pre-purchase through group buys. This approach gives shoppers a sense of anticipation and participation to something innovative and rare.
Deliberate, additive friction can foster a sense of exclusivity, community and achievement. As marketers seek to enhance brand experiences, they should not only focus on removing friction but also explore opportunities to use it constructively. Thoughtfully applied friction can enrich shopping rituals or spark moments of serendipity that go beyond algorithmic recommendations.
What’s next?
Brands will increasingly adapt their strategies to take advantage of the friction paradox, including an always-on strategy in key digital and in-store channels to increase sales, while adding an element of fun and fear-of-missing-out for products with the highest interest and fandoms.
This is the third of ten trends discussed in dentsu’s Human Truths in the Algorithmic Era | 2026 Media Trends report.
