Dive Brief:
- Sixty-two percent of Gen Zers and Millennials said they prefer to shop using AI-powered tools, a larger share than consumers overall (51%), to reduce the risk of making a bad purchase, according to a survey from The Harris Poll and Quad.
- Six in 10 Millennials have more faith in AI-supported shopping tools than store associates to offer unbiased shopping advice, followed by Gen Zers (54%) and 45% of consumers overall, the survey found.
- Roughly seven in 10 of survey respondents said the rise in surveillance pricing makes them want to shop in stores, where retailers charge consistent pricing, per the report.
Dive Insight:
Consumers have concerns regarding the use of AI in their shopping journey.
Nearly three-quarters of survey respondents said algorithm-driven pricing makes it harder for them to confirm if they’re being offered the best price. Furthermore, 73% said they were worried about how AI tools would deploy their personal shopping data.
Despite those concerns, consumers are using AI to compare products and prices efficiently. Two-thirds of survey respondents overall and 76% of Millennials said identifying pricing inconsistencies across retailers was an appealing use case for AI shopping agents. Six in 10 respondents overall and 68% of Millennials said using AI to quickly narrow down choices appeals to them, according to the report.
Additionally, consumers are signaling that incorporating paid ads means trust may be broken with brands and AI platforms — three-quarters of Americans say they would lose trust in AI shopping if results were sponsored.
“Consumers are scrutinizing value more closely and questioning who, or what, is shaping their purchase decisions,” Heidi Waldusky, vice president of brand and integrated marketing at Quad, said in a press release. “AI offers real promise for efficiency and personalized service to make life easier, but any hint that AI shopping is quietly steering users toward paid influence could confirm a fear that the system isn’t on our side.”
Retailers are also leaning further into agentic AI commerce. Earlier this year, retailers like Target, Walmart and Etsy announced partnerships with AI purveyors like Google, OpenAI and Microsoft to integrate their merchandise onto the respective AI platforms. Best Buy is also working with Google and OpenAI to weave its product assortment into their respective AI platforms.
