2/3 UK businesses target growth through innovation, despite pressures

UK businesses are doubling down on innovation as a way of driving growth, with over three-quarters (76%) investing in new approaches to meet evolving customer expectations, according to new research from American Express. The findings of the Amex European Business Barometer highlight a strong thread of resilience as companies adapt their business models.

The research, which polled 500 senior decision-makers at consumer-facing companies in the UK, as well as in four European countries, also found that two thirds (65%) expect to grow over the next 12 months, despite competitive and operational pressures.

The push to innovate and gain competitive advantage is centred on three key focuses: artificial intelligence (AI), social commerce and payments. AI reshaping how businesses serve customers AI adoption is rapidly becoming the norm, with 92% of UK businesses already using it or planning to within two years.

As a result, how companies make decisions and engage customers is evolving fast. Looking ahead, improving insights through data and analytics, and enhancing customer service top the list of planned AI uses over the next two years. Agentic AI – where agents autonomously make decisions and take actions with minimal human intervention – is set to gain momentum.

Almost seven in ten (69%) businesses believe early adoption of Agentic AI will provide a competitive edge, and a third (33%) see this as a major opportunity for their business in the next 12 months.

However, businesses are mindful of the impact AI will have on their operations; significantly, 71% of the UK firms surveyed believe long-term business success will come from combining AI with human insight to win customer trust.

Social media now crucial to driving sales Almost half (48%) of businesses surveyed now rank social media as their most important sales and marketing channel – overtaking owned websites, email and paid search – signalling a major shift in how brands reach customers.

Over a third (36%) of UK businesses plan to invest in social selling to drive sales over the next 12 months, the highest figure among all countries surveyed.

Businesses also see social media as a vital tool for boosting customer loyalty; 31% plan to leverage their social channels as a way of building online communities over the next 12 months, second only to prioritising staff training as a way of improving customer experience.

Payment flexibility becomes essential Payment flexibility is no longer a nice-to-have; eight in ten (79%) businesses acknowledge they lose sales if customers can’t use their preferred payment method – making checkout experience a direct driver of revenue.

Over a quarter (28%) of UK businesses plan to invest in improving their payment or checkout or experience over the next year, the joint-highest among all countries surveyed alongside Italy.

Specifically, firms are prioritising investment in offering a broader choice of payment options, including open banking (54%), expanding digital wallets (52%) and improving checkout speed (46%). UK businesses are demonstrating their continued resilience by making a clear bet on innovation as a route to growth.

Whether it’s AI, social commerce or payments, the common thread is meeting customers where they are – and exceeding their expectations. Those that combine new technology with human insight will be best placed to stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape.

With more places than ever before accepting American Express in the UK, we’re helping businesses adapt to changing consumer behaviour and create experiences that drive loyalty.” In the UK since 2021, the number of locations accepting American Express has tripled, including more UK small businesses than ever before.

American Express Cards are accepted at over 170 million merchant locations worldwide as of year-end 2025. The company has grown the number of Amex-accepting locations by nearly 5x since 2017. – Dan Edelman, UK General Manager, Merchant Services, American Express