January 08, 2026
Who Was Really Shopping in 2025: You or AI?
Over the last 12 months, shopping no longer followed the familiar pattern of search, scroll, compare, and decide. For many consumers, that work had already been outsourced, whether they knew it or not, to AI.
Across retail, ecommerce, and digital experience, AI started directly making decisions. It compared options, summarised reviews, suggested alternatives, and in some cases, made the final call.
AI Became the First Stop, Not the Last Click
In 2025, many shopping journeys began with AI rather than a brand site or search engine. More shoppers turned to AI tools for recommendations, comparisons, and product guidance, often before ever clicking through to a retailer’s own pages. This meant product discovery, comparison, and shortlisting increasingly happened outside traditional retail touchpoints.
AI Pushed Shopping Beyond Brand Control
Rather than driving traffic directly, some brands found themselves reacting to AI-mediated behaviour instead. As AI assistants and agents began browsing, extracting product information, and guiding decisions outside traditional brand journeys, retailers raised concerns about control, consent, and customer experience. The dynamic exposed how influence was already shifting away from linear funnels toward environments dominated by AI.
Younger Shoppers Trusted AI More Than Search
Younger demographics, and especially Gen Z, began using AI as their default discovery tool. Asking a question felt faster and more useful than scrolling through results pages. Shopping became conversational, intent-driven, and less brand-led, with AI directing which options entered consideration.
AI Raised the Bar for Retail CX
Retail experiences are being redesigned around the jobs shoppers already rely on AI to do. According to research, they often use AI to browse, compare, and research products, yet the experiences that feel truly improved are still rare. Consumers consistently say they want AI to make discovery easier, save time, and reduce friction rather than showcase flashy features.
Holiday Shopping Exposed Both the Power and Limits of AI
The 2025 holiday season showed how deeply AI was embedded in retail operations. It handled everything from handling peak service volumes to guiding purchases. However, customers questioned transparency, accuracy, and when automation crossed into overreach. Convenience mattered, but trust still set the boundaries.
The Next Phase of AI in Commerce Is About (Less) Choice
If 2025 showed what AI could handle in shopping, 2026 will test how far brands are willing to push it. AI helped people choose better, but according to Jonathan Arena, co-founder of New Generation, a provider of AI agents for commerce, the next phase could be about removing the need to choose altogether. He said:
“By 2026, AI will anticipate customer needs so precisely that many interactions won’t feel like “shopping” at all. Customers won’t need to search; they’ll simply agree.”
Arena argues that the biggest change won’t be better interfaces or faster recommendations, but a move from reactive to predictive experiences. Customers will increasingly be presented with outcomes that already fit their preferences, through proactive suggestions and automatic replenishment.
One of Arena’s more disruptive predictions is that humans won’t be the only shoppers brands need to design for.
“Humans won’t be the only ones shopping in 2026. Brands will need to serve a new class of customers, that is, AI agents acting on behalf of humans.”
In practice, that means digital experiences must work just as well for machines as they do for people. Arena expects leading companies to adapt their platforms so AI can browse, refine options, and even complete purchases autonomously, while humans engage through natural, conversational interfaces that feel intuitive rather than transactional.
