What you need to know

AI has become a mainstream shopping research tool faster than any channel that came before it. Here’s data that’s important to marketers and can help you make the case for making your organization AI-ready. The following statistics are drawn exclusively from reports published in 2026 and are organized by what each one tells us about how consumers and business buyers are using chatbots and AI agents to inform purchases.

Adoption

• 43% of US online shoppers have used an AI assistant – ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, or a comparable tool – for product research in the past 90 days. Among them, 20% used AI in their most recent online purchase over $50. (product.ai)

• 1 in 4 customers are already turning to AI-powered platforms as their primary source when searching for information, making purchase decisions or getting recommendations — over product websites and online reviews. (Adobe)
• 24% of non-adopters cite a preference for traditional sources as the top reason for not using AI in procurement; 17% express a lack of trust. Bad experiences last 4%. (LEK Consulting)
• 30% of all US consumers have used AI tools to inform a purchase decision – a finding that is widespread across generations but variable among the younger generation: 40% of Gen Z, 42% of millennials, 28% of Gen X, and 13% of baby boomers. (LEK Consulting)
• Adoption of AI for product research slows down after 44 years (Product.ai).

Where AI fits into the purchase funnel

• 46% of AI users now start their shopping research on an independent AI platform (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude), up from 25% in 2024, while traditional search has dropped from 43% to 24% in the same period. (LEK Consulting)
• 53% of AI users primarily use it to compare options and narrow down shortlists, before making final decisions (21%), and acquisitions (19%). (LEK Consulting)
• 49% of customers will use AI to search for personalized product recommendations; 44% will use it for faster customer service. (Adobe)

Trust and the validation gap

• 86% of US consumers who used AI in product research verified AI recommendations from another source before making a purchase. (product.ai)
• AI tools ranked sixth on the list of most trusted sources of product information, behind (in order): Family and friends, online customer reviews, professional or expert publications, brand/retailer websites, Reddit/internet forums, and ahead of only YouTube creators/reviewers. (product.ai)
• 42% of consumers would trust AI with a purchase under $50 without checking another source first. Only 5% can be trusted on purchases over $500. (product.ai)
• 66% of AI users believe AI provides accurate results, and 85% say it has improved their overall shopping experience. (LEK Consulting)
• 68% of organizations say clear disclosure of AI interactions is the most important factor in building trust for agent AI; 61% say it’s easier to step up to support people. (Adobe)

Traffic impact

• 1,200% year-over-year increase in AI-derived traffic to US retail websites. Buyers targeted by AI convert at 31% higher rates than those arriving from other sources. (Adobe)
• A 176% compound annual growth rate of AI-referred web traffic, while search, social, and direct traffic remain low. (LEK Consulting)
• More than 1.1 billion monthly sales site visits came from AI by 2025 – a 357% year-over-year increase. (LEK Consulting)
• 62% of consumers across the US, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific have used AI to inform where they go next in their shopping journey. (LEK Consulting)
• Agenttic buyers could account for $190 billion to $385 billion in US ecommerce spending by 2030, accounting for 10% to 20% of total online retail sales. (NielsenIQ)

• 78% of organizations expect agent AI to handle the majority of customer interactions within 18 months. That dropped to 78% for customer service inquiries, 70% for post-purchase support, and 69% for sales conversations. (Adobe)
• Only 51% of organizations have cloud-based technology to support agent AI, compared to 89% for generative AI. (Adobe)
• 66% of organizations say AI-powered chat platforms are critical to brand relevance; 60% say AI-enabled customer experience is critical to the future of CX. (Adobe)

Segmentation: Where AI research matters most

• 71% of consumers use AI in travel research, 65% in consumer electronics, and 62% in financial products. No tracked category falls below 47%. (LEK Consulting)
• Apparel makes up 30% of recent AI-researched consumer purchases over $50, the largest category; electronics make up 20%. (product.ai)

Pre-determined buyer

• 31% of AI users say their purchase decision is made a lot before they get to a product or retailer’s website, up from 26% two years ago. (LEK Consulting)
• The average duration of web visits decreased by 6% across all 13 categories tracked between March 2024 and March 2026, with the highest declines in household essentials (18%), health care services (16%), and beauty and personal care (16%). (LEK Consulting)

Customer experience with agent AI

• 47% of customers would be comfortable having their AI agent work with a brand representative. A few would allow their agent to work with the product’s AI agent, provide personal information, or authorize a purchase. (Adobe)
• 40% of customers have never thought of creating a personal AI agent. (Adobe)
• Just over half of consumers are open to AI tools that help them find coupons and deals; very few are comfortable with AI handling tasks on their behalf. (Gartner)
• 57% of consumers prefer physical stores. (Gartner)