My belief is that people who take time to review things are usually on complete opposite ends of the spectrum (terrible to great). As such, it is likely that the average experience is underrepresented. Female 33

I do not read reviews on stores, only individual products. Female 22

I research, but most of the time I find people’s reviews are emotion driven, not by fact. Male 46

I use reviews for specific products but not stores. For me, stores are about selection and price. Male 45

If I have experience with the store, I always take other reviews with a grain of salt. However, if I’ve never been there, I do rely on reviews, sometimes. Female 34

I sometimes am more influenced by online reviews. Most of the time I go with what I think though. Female 27

If I trust the overall brand, I’ll shop their store regardless of the reviews. Female 29

I just like to shop where I want. Female 32

It really depends on the store. If I’m going to a larger store I know that the staff probably doesn’t know a ton about all of the products. If I’m going to a smaller store, having worked in one, I know that the staff get trained on each of the products in the store by the manufacturer. Knowing this, I’d much rather shop at a mom and pop shop but I do want to read reviews to make sure it’s a good shop. Male 26

Detailed reviews and verified reviews tend to be more trustworthy. Female 58

I think that if someone took the time to comment then the review should be their honest opinion. Female 45

Somewhat trustworthy. I do know that some sites like Amazon will offer free products or rebates for positive reviews. Female 38

I have found online reviews to be fairly accurate. I especially think it’s applicable when there are a large number of reviews since this will average out. And I like to read the bad reviews completely since sometimes the experience may not be applicable to me. Female 38

I find some screening is required of the reviewer, sometimes people are not very bright... I’ll review with the lens of the content and context of their comments. Female 57

I take most reviews with a grain of salt. Sometimes the people leaving reviews just had a singular bad experience. That being said if there are a multitude of bad reviews saying the same thing then it will hold more value. Male 36

Sometimes, like on Amazon, people get paid to give good reviews even if the item is bad. Female 31

Negative reviews are usually genuine, but some people have unrealistic expectations of a product before purchase, so they are ultimately disappointed. Female 39

I think some people only review when they have something negative to say, so reviews can definitely be skewed. Female 34

None are 100 percent accurate but you can get an overall average opinion. Male 34

You have to filter through spiteful comments and unfair expectations. Male 37

I usually ignore any reviews that are very bad assuming that person just had something to complain about or is a negative person. I will not let a small number of reviews change my opinion, but will look at a larger number to make a decision. Female 27

It seems as though people are more likely to share a negative experience than a positive. For every negative review made, there are many more positive reviews due. Female 34

I think most reviews for individual shops are pretty genuine. You can usually tell if someone is being unreasonable or had an awful experience. When the company responds to criticism, that always is a plus in my book. Female 49

I think it depends on the person who wrote the review. If it is a very specific negative experience, I tend to take it with a grain of salt. If everyone is having the same negative experience, I am a little more hesitant. Female 29

Some people just want to vent.  Female 32

Depends on the source. Yelp had an awful scandal a few years ago regarding removing positive reviews and charging businesses to restore them. Male 34

It depends on how many reviews. The more reviews, the more trustworthy on average it is. Male 34