Purchase Decisions Are Made on the Couch
Consumers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland no longer make spontaneous decisions in the supermarket about which brands and products to buy. The actual purchase decision is made at home—on the sofa, at the kitchen table, or while cooking. This moment, known as the “pretail” phase, is the decisive touchpoint in modern shopper marketing. That's the key finding of the Bring! Shopper Guide 2026, based on anonymized data from the Bring! app (March 2025 to March 2026) and a survey of 21,139 users across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
WHAT IS THE PRETAIL PHASE, AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
The pretail phase refers to the period between the first thought of the next shopping trip and the actual visit to the store. During these hours and days, consumers plan their shopping, check their supplies, seek inspiration, and decide which brands and products to add to their list and thus potentially to their shopping cart.
The data from the Shopper Guide 2026 makes it clear: About 86 percent of consumers In the DACH region create their shopping lists at home. In Germany, 87 percent do so, with 63 percent doing it on the sofa and 24 percent while cooking in the kitchen. In Austria, the figure is also 87 percent (53% sofa/table, 34% kitchen), and in Switzerland, it is 86 percent (56% sofa/table, 30% kitchen).
Another noteworthy aspect is the lead time: Planning begins, on average, at least two days before the actual purchase. For every purchase, the Bring! app is opened at least three times, with each planning session lasting just under five minutes on average. These brief, recurring planning moments are valuable touchpoints for brands and retailers, because consumers are relaxed and much more receptive to relevant information than when they're rushing around in front of the supermarket shelves.
THE LIST IS KING, AND OFFERS HAVE A LONG-LASTING IMPACT ON SHELF SPACE
Whatever's on the list ends up on the conveyor belt. In Germany, 60 percent of consumers stick to their shopping list almost 100 percent of the time while in the store; in Austria and Switzerland, the figure is 59 percent in each country. Spontaneous changes of mind at the shelf remain the exception. For brands and retailers, this means: Those who aren’t present during the planning phase will struggle in the store.
In this context, the role of offers is particularly revealing. In Germany, 24% of Bring! users actively use digital brochures as part of their grocery planning; for 13%, offers even determine which retailer they choose to visit. (Note: these figures refer to the German market – comparable data from AT and CH indicate a similar directional effect.)
Offers also drive strategic stock-up behavior across all three markets: Approx. 42 percent of German consumers stock up on products when they’re on sale. In Switzerland, that figure rises to 49 percent, and in Austria, it’s 40 percent. Three-quarters of these shoppers add one to three packages to their carts, preferring non-perishable items such as coffee or pasta. For retailers, this means that promotional communication must be thought out well beyond the physical store.
WHAT DRIVES SHOPPERS IN 2026: TRENDS IN A MARKET COMPARISON
Bring!'s shopping list data is neither a panel survey nor a poll, but a real-time snapshot of the actual purchasing decisions made by millions of people. What it reveals about 2025/2026 is insightful.
PROTEIN AND FUNCTIONAL FOOD: FROM A NICHE MARKET TO EVERYDAY LIFE
Protein is no longer just a fitness trend, but everyday necessities. In all three markets, protein products and functional foods are moving from niche status into the weekly shopping basket, with remarkable growth rates that vary by market. In Germany, demand for Collagen by 1,020 percent and Creatine by 910 percent; Protein shakes and Protein coffee are also rising sharply. In Austria, demand for Protein shakes rises by 288 percent, Psyllium husks by 233 percent. In Switzerland, goji berries an increase of 103 percent, Psyllium husks an increase of 97 percent, Matcha an increase of 135 percent and Protein drinks an increase of 86 percent.
CABBAGE'S COMEBACK AND FERMENTATION: VEGETABLES ARE GETTING INTERESTING
The same trend is evident in all three DACH markets: Cabbage is the new rising star. Kimchi is the leading trend-setter, with a 48 percent increase in demand in Germany, followed by pointed cabbage with a 20 percent increase and pak choi with a 13 percent increase. Fermented and Asian-inspired vegetables are finding their way onto digital shopping lists, driven by growing health consciousness and social media inspiration.
Despite all the trends, the traditional products remain stable on shopping lists: milk, eggs, and bread top the lists in all three markets. In Germany, tomatoes rank third, while in Switzerland, bread remains ubiquitous. These staple products offer brands a reliable entry point for expanding their product ranges.
BEAUTY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: TIKTOK AND INSTAGRAM ARE CHANGING SHOPPING HABITS
A remarkable shift is taking place in the beauty industry. Viral glow and contouring tutorials on TikTok and Instagram are driving the demand for makeup products and this is also reflected in shopping lists. In Switzerland, Lip gloss by 360 percent, Bronzer by 131 percent and Blush by 77 percent. In Germany, Highlighter up 49 percent, Retinol up 44 percent, Bronzer up 30 percent and Serum up 22 percent. A similar trend is evident in Austria, where Face oils, highlighters, and bronzers.
Percentage change in the beauty products market in Switzerland (2024 vs. 2025):
STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS FOR BRANDS AND RETAILERS
The data from the Shopper Guide 2026 paints a clear picture: The Pretrail phase is the most critical moment in shopper marketing. Those who aren’t present here are fighting against a decision that’s already been made at the point of sale.
“Whoever is present and relevant during the planning phase wins the receipt at the end.”
Traditional retail media approaches reach their limits here. Measures at the point of sale that focus solely on driving sales fall short when the purchase decision has already been made at home. What is needed is a modern commerce media approach, which starts exactly where the decision-making process really begins—in the midst of consumers’ daily lives, during those relaxed moments when they’re planning their shopping. The key lies in context: advertising and promotions during the pretail phase must not feel like interruptions. They need to be embedded in the planning process as genuinely useful, functional value-adds.
HOW PRETAIL MARKETING WORKS WITH BRING! LABS
With the Bring! app and the Profital deals app, Bring! Labs has created an ecosystem that fills this exact niche. With over 4.2 million monthly active users in the DACH region, 72.1 million products purchased, and 7.4 million brochures viewed each month, the platform is one of the most relevant touchpoints in the German-speaking retail sector.
Specific advertising formats are available for brands and retailers:
CONCLUSION: THE SHELF IS TOO LATE
The Bring! Shopper Guide 2026 offers more than just trend data. It sets out a strategic mandate: brands and retailers that want to remain relevant in the DACH market must recognize the pre-tail phase as a key marketing channel and make the most of it. Those who aren’t involved in the planning stage will be left out of the purchasing process.
*Data sources for the Shopper Guide: Anonymized data from the shopping list app Bring!, covering the period from March 2025 to March 2026, as well as survey results from 21,139 users in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. © Bring! Labs AG