The customer experience outlook for 2026
In 2026, customer experience will be influenced by both AI agentification and economic divergence: AI may change the starting point of customer journeys, but overly rapid deployment could backfire; economic divergence prompts brands to pursue premium experiences, while inflation drives the rise of flexible reward programs.
Technology and the economy are the forces set to shape the customer experience practice in the coming year.
The rapid evolution of AI has already changed how customer journeys begin. As agentic AI becomes more mainstream it could change how customers interact with brands — including whether individual brands can control the experience at all.
The impact of AI could be overstated, however. Some experts say that companies that deploy the technology too quickly could accidentally sabotage their experience.
Meanwhile, the turbulent economy is bifurcating consumers into higher- and lower-income brackets. The result is brands looking for ways to win wealthier consumers, leading to the premiumization of experiences.
Inflation is having an impact on loyalty, too, making flexible rewards more attractive as consumers try to maximize their benefits.
Read on for a look at what CX leaders need to know in 2026.