January 12, 2026
Holiday Shopping Felt Easier This Year. Losing Customer Trust Was Easier Too
Holiday shopping in 2025 felt easier than in years past, with less searching and less back-and-forth. According to Talkdesk’s Post-2025 Holiday Shopping Survey, AI took work off consumers’ plates.
Nearly 89% of U.S. shoppers turned to AI during the holidays, and many did this to make December feel more manageable. The biggest improvement was time-saving, with 74% of shoppers saying AI saved them hours because shopping felt more efficient.
Forty-three percent estimated saving one to three hours, while another 26% saved four to six hours. A smaller group said AI gave them back more than six hours during the season, which came from removing friction across the entire journey.
Shoppers used AI to search for deals, narrow product choices, read reviews, track deliveries, and generate gift ideas. Deal-hunting was the most common use case, with 68% relying on AI to find savings. Sixty-six percent used it to get gift ideas for someone else, reducing the effort of starting from scratch.
When AI Gets It Wrong, Trust Breaks Quickly
The survey also shows how quickly things fall apart when AI misfires. Twenty-four percent of shoppers said they received a biased product recommendation from an AI chatbot, often tied to a stereotype.
As a result, 32% of those shoppers lost trust in the brand, while 27% said they would not recommend it. Nineteen percent said they would not shop with that brand again.
In addition, uncertainty around AI disclosure made matters worse. Thirty-one percent of shoppers who contacted customer service weren’t sure whether they were speaking with a human or an AI agent.
When brands failed to disclose AI involvement, 40% said they felt misled. Another 45% felt neutral, which in retail often signals hesitation rather than acceptance. Transparency is no longer optional once AI becomes part of the service experience.
Shoppers Let AI Decide More Than Before
This holiday season marked a turning point in how much responsibility shoppers handed to AI. Only 1% said AI made poor gift choices. Nearly 30% said AI chose gifts better than they would have themselves.
When customers trust AI to make decisions, they also hold brands accountable for the outcome. Bias, poor judgment, or lack of disclosure is treated as a brand failure.
Among shoppers who said AI improved their experience, 66% reported that finding gifts felt easier and less stressful. Sixty-five percent said AI made it easier to identify deals or savings. Nearly half said recommendations were more relevant, while 43% said they received faster support.
Those numbers show progress, but also limits, particularly when it comes to personalisation. Less than half felt recommendations were truly personalised, and fewer than half saw faster service as a defining benefit. AI reduced stress, yet judgment and relevance still matter.
Savings Varied by Shopper and Situation
Many shoppers also reported saving money with AI support. Some estimated savings between $50 and $100, others between $100 and $250, and a smaller group reported savings of up to $500.
Michael Klein, Head of Retail, Travel & Hospitality Product Marketing at Talkdesk, said: “When implemented thoughtfully, AI helps shoppers save time and money, feel supported, and shop with more confidence. But as adoption grows, retailers must be as focused on earning trust through responsible AI practices as they are on delivering efficiency.”
Savings didn’t carry the same weight for every shopper. In higher-income households, they often felt marginal, while in lower-income households, they determined how much holiday shopping was possible.
