Shoppers are starting their buying journey with questions instead of search bars.

In the U.S., 40–60% of consumers already use generative AI tools while shopping, mainly for discovery and comparison. Adoption is highest among Gen Z and Millennials, but it’s spreading fast. Some forecasts project usage could reach 70% by 2026 as AI assistants become embedded in browsers, phones, and retail apps.

Many consumers let AI narrow their options before they visit a single product page. Studies show around 55–60% are reducing or skipping traditional search during product research. For retailers, this changes the rules: if a brand doesn’t appear in AI recommendations, it risks being invisible.

The traditional retail funnel; discover, compare, evaluate, decide used to give brands multiple opportunities to influence shoppers. Ads, reviews, retargeting: every step offered a chance to guide the choice.

Now all of that can happen in a single AI interaction. A shopper might type, “Best office chair for long workdays under $400,” and the AI instantly delivers a shortlist. The decision happens in seconds.

More than half of shoppers now encounter AI‑generated suggestions during their journey, and analysts predict that by 2026 consumers will increasingly depend on AI agents to plan, compare, and even complete purchases. Routine use of conversational tools is already growing as well with about 24% of U.S. consumers regularly using chatbots while shopping online today.

Retailers now contend with dozens of AI systems, each trained on different data and producing different recommendations. Meanwhile, trust is lagging. Only 15–30% of consumers fully trust AI to make purchases. Shoppers are willing to embrace convenience, even if trust hasn’t caught up.

AI recommendations are only as strong as the data behind them. Many systems still rely on scraped content, historical transactions, or inferred preferences. That explains the past, not current behavior. Personalization can increase conversions, yet only about a third of consumers trust companies to use their data responsibly

Shoppers are clear about what they accept. 70–80% are comfortable with personalization based on data they knowingly share, but tolerance drops sharply for tracking or inferred data.

Brands pulling ahead focus on verified, behavior-based insights, what people actually buy, when, and under what conditions across regions and demographics.

In 2026, successful retailers will focus on real consumer behavior. Shoppers may say they’re cutting spending, yet they still pay extra for fast delivery or convenience. AI trained only on intentions misses these patterns.

Brands that win will use zero party data; actual purchases, browsing habits, and transaction details to power AI recommendations that feel relevant and trustworthy. When shoppers see how their data improves the experience, they’re more willing to share it.

Brands also need to align product information with how shoppers communicate. Product descriptions and metadata should match everyday queries to ensure visibility in AI recommendations.

AI will go beyond recommendations, managing reorders, subscriptions, and trade-offs. Brands that earn AI’s “trust” through verified behavior data appear first in suggestions.

The brands that win will be the ones AI consistently recommends. That trust comes from real consumer behavior, the kind Rwazi captures every day.