By the Numbers: The Best of PYMNTS Intelligence for Oct. 30

1. AI Users Pull Ahead

Sixty-eight percent of small businesses that frequently use AI reported revenue growth in 2025, compared with 37% of those that rarely or never use it. The findings don’t establish that AI caused the growth, but the 31-point gap gives banks and business service providers a reason to examine what frequent users do differently.

2. Gen X Keeps Control

Only 23% of Gen X consumers want an AI agent to handle shopping and purchasing on their behalf. The Gen X Playbook finds that nearly six in 10 used AI for personal tasks as of April. Using AI for help clearly doesn’t mean shoppers are ready to hand over the purchase decision.

3. Familiar Stores Win

Seventy-eight percent of grocery shoppers made their most recent purchase at their main store, according to the How People Shop and Pay Report. For retail purchases, the share was 61%. Merchants seeking new customers have to give them a compelling reason to break an established routine.

4. Cash Forecasts Miss

In the Q3 eBook, Billtrust CFO David Zwick cites a company survey in which 67% of finance leaders missed monthly cash forecasts by more than 5%. His takeaway: Faster invoice processing doesn’t automatically bring faster payment. Finance teams need to measure when earned revenue becomes usable cash.

5. People Still Sell

Twenty-three percent of small businesses gained customers who wanted a person to do the work, while 14% gained work fixing AI-generated outputs. The SMB findings show that human expertise remains a source of business even as AI helps companies complete tasks faster.

6. AI Shares the Search

Among Gen X consumers who used generative AI to discover products in the past year, 32% say it fully or mostly replaced their previous research method. The comparable millennial share is 42%. Merchants still need to reach Gen X through both AI tools and the familiar channels shoppers continue to consult.

7. Price Checks Get Skipped

Thirty-eight percent of grocery shoppers and 43% of retail shoppers didn’t check prices before their most recent purchase, even at the store they chose. How People Shop and Pay finds that convenience leads merchant selection in both categories. A smoother shopping experience can compete with the appeal of a discount.

8. Reconciliation Trails

In the Q3 eBook, Tungsten Automation’s John Gibbon cites company research showing that 77% of business leaders have modernized invoice processing, but only 30% fully automate matching payments with invoice data. The gap points to unfinished work between processing an invoice and confirming that it has been paid.