The number-one purchase driver is trust. However, earning it can be a time-consuming and sometimes impossible endeavour.

A recent survey from IMI reveals that 18% of respondents said they will “never trust a company.”

The data, informed by a survey of 500 Canadian consumers, show that 40% of respondents said it takes between two and four years to build brand trust, 23% said it takes more than five years and 20% said it takes one year.

If trust is lost, out of 300 Canadians surveyed, 65% said that it can be regained compared with 30% who said it can’t be. The remaining 5% of respondents said they were unsure.

For those that believe brand trust can be redeemed, 31% said the best way to do so is through payment of some sort, followed by 31% who said an apology, coupled with honesty and transparency, is their preferred method.

Buying a product because it’s a trusted brand name is the most common purchase driver in Canada with 71% of those surveyed saying they made a purchase for that reason in the past year. Free delivery was the second-most-popular purchase driver with a 66% portion of Canadian consumers saying the perk enticed them to buy an item in the past 12 months.

Rounding out the top-three purchase drivers is Amazon from which 65% of respondents said they purchased item in the past year simply because they were browsing the retail giant’s site.

According to IMI data, both online and in-store promotions continue to be important purchase drivers. Forty-seven percent of Canadian consumers said they purchased an item simply because of an online promotion.

By contrast, 43% of Canadian consumers made a purchase because of an in-store promotion.

When it comes to promotions, limited-time-offer (LTO) prices outperformed buy one, get one free (BOGO) offers. Sixty-five percent of respondents reported purchasing an LTO priced product in the past 12 months versus 61% who reported buying because of a BOGO deal. Both categories out-performed coupon-redemption purchases (58%).

IMI’s Why People Buy survey also focused on a Tim Hortons promotion that is one of the most popular in the country.

Two weeks ago, the QSR brought back promotional cups after introducing a digital alternative to “Roll Up The Rim” in 2021.

Of 3,000 Canadians surveyed, 40% said the physical cup is much better than the digital version, while 60% said they will now make a purchase at Tim Hortons for a chance to win.

IMI numbers revealed that 54% of the 18-34 set “will go out of their way to participate” in the promotional campaign.