With over 61% of people reading online reviews before making a purchase decision, it’s even more important than ever to separate the good ones from the bad. But with peer reviews and professional write-ups often having contrasting opinions, who should we trust – and why?

Consumers react to the weather every day, changing their shopping habits with the climate. Weather Trends International (WTI) warns that unseasonal changes in the climate could alter sales forecasts, however.

Who reviews restaurants, and what's behind the bad reviews? A study by Georgia Tech and Yahoo Labs has found that negative restaurant reviews are most likely to be penned on a rainy day, in July or August, from a quiet suburb.

When shopping online, it can be difficult to know whose opinion to trust. We spoke to a group of young shoppers to find out more about how they use customer reviews and in-store advice to guide their shopping decisions.