Consumers look to use AI for holiday shopping

This year, many holiday shoppers are planning to use AI tools for assistance in finding the right gifts and deals, a study by Sapio Research found.

Over two thirds (69%) of shoppers said they think AI will make it easier to discover new products and brands. High-earning shoppers are even more likely to use AI.

Additionally, 74% of shoppers think AI will also find deals and special offers as they shop. 67% think predictive AI will serve helpful recommendations based on past purchases.

Brand value. Consumers see future-looking AI tools as a positive sign from a brand. For instance, 39% of shoppers surveyed said they’re more likely to buy from a brand that uses AI as part of the shopping experience.

One in five shoppers said they’d be loyal to a brand that uses embedded AI.

Why we care. The amount of competition online during peak sales periods challenges brand loyalty. Shoppers are usually looking for the best deal regardless of retailer or brand. But customer experience matters. Relevant product suggestions and other AI tools for discovery can help differentiate sellers.

Social shopping. The study also found significant interest in shopping on social platforms.

One third of consumers said they would likely shop directly from Instagram, closely followed by Facebook (31%) and TikTok (28%).

It should be noted that all these platforms have advanced AI models used to feed content to users. It’s not surprising that consumers who value AI in other contexts would also want to shop on these platforms.

The study. This research was conducted by Sapio Research in partnership with Shopify. It included 12,000 consumers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the U.S.

Dig deeper: Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sales hold steady for other retailers too