New research shows that consumers are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to conduct their product research.
An October PYMNTS Intelligence report titled “From Prompt to Purchase: Who Wins the AI Shopper?” argues that this shift has created a major commercial opportunity for merchants to win over first-time shoppers long before those consumers ever visit traditional search bars.
According to that report, nearly 61 million U.S. consumers now begin their online retail research with AI assistants. Based on an August 2026 survey of 2,191 American adults, the study examines how generative AI tools can shape the modern shopping journey from initial discovery to checkout.
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“A consumer who welcomes AI’s advice can keep control of checkout, return to a trusted marketplace or delegate the purchase,” the report said.
“The central finding is that AI is displacing established research habits faster than it is displacing established buying relationships. Advertising and product visibility face a different competitive challenge from the accounts, saved cards and delivery services that help secure the sale.”
While overall AI adoption holds steady across personal tasks, shoppers increasingly rely on conversational assistants to narrow down product choices, compare technical features and evaluate prices.
The research shows that average quarterly spending among AI-assisted shoppers jumped 17% to $1,039 in August, demonstrating that consumers aren’t just testing these conversational tools for fun, but using them to spend real money.
Other key findings include:
- Research habits are migrating fast, with 59% of consumers who use AI for shopping reporting that they now research products on AI platforms that they previously searched for on Amazon, illustrating how quickly discovery practices change
- New doors open for unfamiliar merchants: AI tools function like a friendly digital tour guide, introducing 45% of users to online stores they hadn’t visited before and leading to unprecedented organic reach for smaller brands
- Checkout loyalty creates a conversion gap: Just 27% of AI shoppers say they buy from Amazon less often, leaving a 32 percentage point gulf between research migration and checkout shifts that merchants can close using seamless payment options
Looking ahead to autonomous buying agents, 40% of consumers would tell an automated assistant to purchase from a large marketplace, although 60% remain open to department stores, direct brand sites or agent choices.
Merchants who can meld clear product information for AI agents with dependable, easy checkout experiences stand well-poised to turn initial recommendations into durable customer relationships, the report argued.
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