The quiet power of purpose: How meaningful brand messages drive traffic, not conversion

Even in a year of shifting expectations, one thing stayed consistent: brand values influence where shoppers go and which retailers earn their loyalty. More than half of global consumers (54%) say they want brands to clearly communicate the purpose and values they stand for – driven up, in particular, by Millennials and Gen Z.

However, while it's important to shoppers that brands communicate their purpose, the physical store isn't necessarily their strongest channel. In 2025, “Meaningful” is the sixth most important dimension of brand experience – dropping from third in 2018.

The Meaningful dimension saw the sharpest drop in consumer priorities from 2018 to 2025, ranking #6 in importance today, yet sentiments for Meaningful actions from brands remain high

The latest JLL study, Shifting Priorities in Retail Design, which surveyed 2,002 adults across 15 countries, shows this insight cutting across regions, retail sectors, and store formats.

In today's hyper-aware marketplace, brands face growing pressure to define, act on, and communicate their core values—clearly and authentically. And the stakes are high: Nearly half (48%) of consumers want to feel a genuine sense of pride in the brands they associate with.

One of the clearest signals came from the 2025 Target boycott, which erupted after the retailer abandoned its DEI programs. The backlash wiped out years of consumer loyalty, cost the company $20 billion, and ended its CEO's tenure. For retailers everywhere, it was a sharp reminder that customers are watching closely, and they’re willing to walk away when a brand’s actions betray its promises.

This cautionary tale leads brands to a critical question: how and when should they communicate broader purpose—from their core values to corporate responsibility initiatives—with consumers?

JLL research shows that while brand values are important to consumers, shoppers don’t view the physical store as the best place for that conversation. By the time they walk through the door, they’ve already decided whether the brand aligns with their values.

In fact, since 2018, the in-store importance of the “Meaningful” dimension has dropped from third to sixth. Today’s shoppers, once inside, are more focused on immediate benefits like an efficient journey, personalized service, genuine human connection, and an environment that feels clear and easy to navigate.

A French consumer summarized this hierarchy perfectly when asked what one thing would most improve the in-store experience (other than price): "I need a store that is uncluttered, clear and doesn’t feel overwhelming. I also want it to make a meaningful impact on the community.”

Home Depot offers a compelling example of how to act on brand values without forcing those messages into the store environment. Through The Home Depot Foundation, the company channels more than $100 million each year into community support, including a commitment to invest $750 million in veteran causes by 2030.

But that story is largely absent from the stores themselves. The company’s latest prototype keeps the focus on what customers need in the moment: effortless convenience, low prices, responsive service, and a clean, navigable layout. Any mention of the Foundation is minimal, usually local, and intentionally secondary to the core shopping experience.

Instead, Home Depot shares its values-driven work through channels where the message is more likely to resonate: the Foundation’s dedicated social media, community partnerships, volunteer events, and local grants. And the payoff is real—the company’s customer satisfaction score rose 3% year-over-year, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 2025 report.

The lesson from the research is clear: Meaningful messaging is most powerful before the customer arrives. Authentic, consistent, purpose-driven actions, amplified across digital channels and owned platforms, help drive traffic and build long-term loyalty.

But inside the store, customers are looking for something different. They expect clarity, ease, and a well-executed experience before they’re ready to absorb anything more aspirational.

This doesn’t mean brands should pull back from purpose. Quite the opposite. As the research shows, consumers are paying close attention to what brands do—and whether those actions feel real. The most successful retailers will be those who deliver a customer-first in-store experience as the price of entry, and use authentic, external values-based actions as the differentiator that turns trust into lasting loyalty.

Download the summary report of Six Dimensions, Seven Years Later: Shifting Priorities in Retail Designfor more insight into global consumers' shifting priorities. For a deeper dive by insight, region, sector, generation, or format, contact JLL Design’s Emily Miller at emilya.miller@jll.com for a complimentary custom report.