NielsenIQ reports that 42% of consumers have used at least one artificial intelligence tool to shop in the past month, 19% have used an auto-plenish feature for repeat purchases, and 17% have used AI for product recommendations.
One in 10 respondents have used a voice assistant to purchase or reorder items, and the same number has engaged with an AI-powered shopping assistant. Despite plenty of consumers using AI to help with shopping, just 5% have used fully autonomous agents to place orders on their behalf.
“We are witnessing the early stages of an industry-wide fundamental shift from search to decision,” said Liz Buchanan, president of North America at NIQ. “AI is not replacing the consumer, but it is dramatically reshaping how choices are made. The companies that win in this next era will be the ones that understand how to show up in those moments and deliver both value and trust.”
Buchanan said consumers are increasingly open to AI-assisted shopping but are not yet ready to fully delegate buying decisions. Instead, AI is being adopted as a tool to simplify and accelerate choices, compressing the path from consideration to selection without removing human control.
A separate report from Rithum, a cloud-based e-commerce software company that connects brands, suppliers and retailers, examined AI shopping involvement across different income levels and age groups. Rithum reports a sharp difference between those who use AI regularly to help with shopping and those who do not. While 80% of 18- to 43-year-olds have used AI for shopping in the previous three months, only 51% of those aged 60 and older have done the same. The report found that 67% of shoppers between the ages of 44 and 59 have used AI to assist with shopping.
The adoption gap is also related to a sense of attachment, the report states. Younger consumers say they’d definitely miss the benefits AI tools provide if they couldn’t use them. Also, 29% of 28- to 43-year-olds would feel great loss without the help of AI tools, compared to just 9% of those ages 60 and older. One in three older shoppers said they would feel no impact if AI shopping tools were removed.
Household income is another major driver of AI adoption. Usage peaked at 84% among households between $100,000 and $150,000, and it dropped to 56% for households that earn under $30,000. For households earning between $50,000 and $69,000, AI usage averaged 68%.
Rithum found that how AI is being used also varies according to different shopping agendas. The report found that 43% of lower-income shoppers rely on AI shopping assistants as a tool to seek out the best prices. Higher-income shoppers are more likely to use AI to prioritize convenience, like not having to browse multiple sites.
When shopping online, consumers have used AI tools to help them decide whether to buy items in certain categories during the past six months. The survey found 45% of respondents used AI to help them buy electronics online. The second category with the highest AI-assisted purchases is apparel, which includes shoes and jewelry, with 37% of the respondents. About 36% of the respondents said they use AI to help with grocery shopping, and 34% use it to help with purchases of beauty and health products. Less common categories where AI is used to assist buyers include home and garden at 20%, sports products at 19%, and baby products at 7%.
Rithum’s research shows that AI can make shoppers feel more confident and less loyal to brands when they use it more often. The report found 43% compare prices more often when using AI, and 36% make faster decisions when they use AI. One-third said they feel more confident about their purchases when using an AI shopping assistant.
Consumers are creatures of habit, but 19% of the respondents said they have bought brands they never heard of before using an AI shopping assistant. Returns are also less common among 15% of the respondents who make AI-assisted purchases. While it’s still a long way from being a majority, 12% said they start their online shopping by asking AI to help. Rithum notes that 32% spend less time browsing other websites when they use an AI assistant.
Rithum analysts warn that AI is creating a new dynamic in e-commerce where a purchase is not made based on logo recognition or customer loyalty, but simply because an AI-shopping agent responded to a retailer’s clear, complete product answers. This somewhat evens the playing field for new brands who have not spent millions to garner brand recognition.
Brands and retailers can be displaced when they are passed over by AI-shopping agents, and they may not be aware that it’s happening, Rithum warns. For instance, the report found that brands could fall out of favor with AI agents if a complaint was posted on Reddit with a long thread of negative comments. By the time the retailer or brand discovers the issue, the AI agent has already formed a new recommendation. Every time a customer buys a product and is happy with it, that informs the agent to make that recommendation again. If it skips over a brand because of confusing signals, it may never recommend that product again because a new algorithm has been written for it to follow.
Rithum also notes that when an AI agent misquotes a discontinued price or flags an item as in stock when it isn’t, shoppers blame the brand. In fact, 58% said that when an AI agent gives them incorrect product information, their trust in the brand decreases, and 16% walk away from the purchase.
While shoppers are aware that AI agents respond to data provided by retailers and brands, 33% said their trust in the tool would take a hit, but they would use it again and verify the recommendations with other sources before making a decision.
Editor’s note: The Supply Side section of Talk Business & Politics focuses on the companies, organizations, issues and individuals engaged in providing products and services to retailers. The Supply Side is managed by Talk Business & Politics.
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