Younger generations are leading the charge into the agentic commerce era with 33 per cent of Gen Z and 26 per cent of Millennials preferring AI platforms for product research, according to a new report from Commerce, an open, intelligent ecosystem of tech solutions.
The survey of 1,000 consumers across the U.S., U.K., and Australia/New Zealand reveals how AI platforms are transforming the way people research, discover and buy products, as well as redefining trust in the shopping journey.
“Agentic commerce is no longer a concept on the horizon, it’s here, and it’s already the first stop in the shopping journey,” said Al Williams, general manager of B2C at Commerce, the parent company of BigCommerce, Feedonomics and Makeswift. “Gen Z and Millennials now trust AI more than search, social or influencers to guide what they buy. The shift is clear: brands that show up inside AI-driven platforms will be the ones earning relevance and loyalty in this new era.”
The report, New Modes: How AI is Shaping New Commerce Contexts and Expectations, found that Gen Z shoppers are nearly as likely to use AI platforms (33 per cent) for product research as they are search engines (37 per cent). For Millennials, the gap widens with 26 per cent choosing AI platforms compared to 40 per cent preferring search engines. Meanwhile, just 13 per cent of Gen X and 3 per cent of Boomers prefer to use AI for product research.
Beyond research, these large language model platforms are building credibility with shoppers, as 23 per cent of Gen Z and 27 per cent of Millennials reported they are starting to trust AI platforms more than people for curated product recommendations.
LLM platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are becoming part of the go-to tech toolkit, with 41 per cent of all respondents using them daily. The growing prevalence of these tools, especially for more mid-funnel activities like comparing specific products and brands, reaffirms how critical it is for brands to understand when and why their target customers use AI. From there, they must develop an Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) or Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) strategy that includes rich brand and product data, which will ultimately feed these platforms and bring consumers closer to conversion.
“Consumers are embracing a new omnimodal reality. Shopping is no longer just an activity—it’s an identity,” said Phillip Jackson, co-founder and CEO of Future Commerce. “AI platforms aren’t just tools; they’re becoming trusted companions in the consumer journey. For retailers and brands, the implication is clear: the path to trust and loyalty increasingly runs through AI-driven channels.”
The study also highlights how consumers are diversifying their use of different touchpoints beyond traditional search engines and retailer websites. Nearly half (48 per cent) of consumers say they maintain a perpetual mental shopping list, reflecting an “always-on” mindset where commerce is embedded into our daily life and interactions with culture, community, and media. Platforms such as YouTube, ChatGPT, and WhatsApp are becoming critical spaces for both inspiration and transaction, collapsing the traditional commerce funnel.
Key Findings from the 2025 New Modes Report
- 23 per cent of Gen Z and 27 per cent of Millennials trust AI product recommendations more than human ones
- 46 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials use AI platforms daily
- 41 per cent of all respondents use AI platforms daily
- Gen Z is nearly 3X more likely than Gen X to use AI for product research
- 63 per cent of consumers abandon carts when forced to create accounts, underscoring ongoing friction in branded eCommerce site experiences
- 48 per cent of all consumers maintain a “perpetual shopping list,” blurring the line between shopping as an activity and shopping as a state of mind
- 55 per cent of consumers said they would unsubscribe to a brand they like if they receive too many marketing messages from them
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