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The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is primarily a regulatory requirement. Brands are preparing for it because they must. But what do consumers think?
At this stage, there is no single, definitive answer. What we have instead is a growing body of signals, early data points, and comparable consumer behaviours that allow us to form hypotheses about how DPPs may shape the consumer experience.
What we know today about consumers
Before looking ahead, it is important to acknowledge the current uncertainty.
Two hypotheses are often discussed when it comes to consumer interaction with Digital Product Passports:
- Consumers will have little interest in scanning QR codes, seeing them as technical or irrelevant.
- Scanning behaviour will increase over time, with DPPs becoming a natural part of the consumer journey, especially when they deliver clear and useful information.
The reality will likely sit between these two extremes. What matters is not the presence of a QR code itself, but what consumers find when they use it.
How consumers may interact with a DPP
Our working assumption behind Digital Product Passports is: when consumers choose to engage, they are looking for practical answers rather than technical explanations.
The DPP is designed to connect the physical product to verified, item-level information that addresses their questions directly. When this information is clear and relevant, the experience feels intuitive and empowering, not like an additional digital layer imposed on the product.
Trust and loyalty: the most measurable consumer benefits
Among the possible consumer outcomes, trust is one of the most consistently observed signals associated with transparency.
Research cited by Forbes suggests that 94% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to brands that offer complete transparency. While this statistic is not DPP-specific, it provides a strong directional indicator: when information is clear, consistent, and verifiable, credibility increases.
From a strategic perspective, this supports the hypothesis that Digital Product Passports, when well implemented, can reinforce trust, and that trust remains a key driver of long-term consumer relationships.
Luxury as the fastest-moving category
Luxury offers an early lens into how DPP-style product information may be perceived.
According to research cited by Vogue, around 80% of luxury consumers express interest in Digital Product Passports for categories such as handbags, watches, and jewellery. In these segments, authenticity and provenance are central to the purchase decision.
Here, the passport is not perceived as a regulatory artefact, but as an extension of ownership, a digital layer that reinforces authenticity, traceability, and durability. This makes luxury a useful reference point for how consumer expectations may evolve in other categories over time.
Resale and secondhand: where DPP value becomes tangible
The relevance of verified product information increases significantly when products change hands.
Vogue reports that 56% of consumers are more likely to purchase secondhand items when a Digital Product Passport is available, as it helps validate origin and product history. While this reflects stated preference rather than guaranteed behaviour, it highlights a clear pain point in resale: uncertainty.
From a strategic standpoint, DPPs have the potential to reduce this friction by providing continuity and proof, increasing confidence for both buyers and sellers while allowing brands to remain connected to products beyond the first sale.
Consumers want data, not claims
Several consumer studies point in a similar direction, suggesting that verifiable product information may play a growing role in higher-consideration purchase decisions:
Commonly requested information includes:
- Product composition
- Care and repair guidance
- Durability indicators
- Environmental footprint data
This does not suggest that all consumers will actively seek out every data point. Rather, it indicates that when information is available and credible, it becomes a reference point for decision-making and product care. Digital Product Passports make this information accessible at item level, rather than dispersed across generic webpages or marketing materials.
Consumers may pay more for verified product information
Another hypothesis worth testing is whether verified product information influences willingness to pay.
The UNECE, citing PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Survey, reports that 78% of consumers say they would pay more for products aligned with their preferences and values. Academic research further suggests that consumers assign measurable value to traceability information, particularly when it is independently verifiable.
While these findings are not exclusive to DPPs, they reinforce a broader insight: reliable product information has commercial relevance, especially when it supports confidence and informed choice.
From innovation to expectation
If Digital Product Passports become widely adopted, consumer expectations are likely to shift.
What initially feels innovative - scanning a product to access verified information - may gradually become a baseline expectation. In this context, the risk for brands is not non-compliance, but perception: being seen as opaque or outdated compared to peers.
Early adopters may benefit from:
- Higher engagement at the point of purchase
- Stronger post-purchase relationships
- Clearer differentiation in crowded markets
How Renoon supports the consumer experience
Renoon supports brands in transforming structured product data into Digital Product Passports that are clear, accessible, and meaningful for consumers.
By organising and validating product-level information, Renoon enables brands to deliver consistent digital product experiences that support trust, engagement, and long-term value, without adding unnecessary complexity to internal teams or consumer journeys.
👉 Book a demo with Renoon to see how Digital Product Passports can turn compliance into consumer trust, engagement, and measurable value.
Looking ahead
Looking forward, it seems like the brands that lead will be those that treat product transparency as a long-term relationship tool, not a one-time implementation.
Digital Product Passports give products a voice and consumers the information they need. Brands that embrace this shift will not only meet requirements: they may become the preferred choice.
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