With the Christmas season already upon us, the increasing influence of artificial intelligence is set to change shopping behaviour beyond recognition. According to the latest “Consumer Sentiment Index Q3” study by Criteo, 44 per cent of consumers globally primarily use AI for product comparisons, and 39 per cent for price determination, demonstrating practical applications are the main reason for consumers using AI in shopping.
Advanced buying supported by agentic AI and full automation are on the horizon, but these habits indicate consumer comfort levels with the technology currently centre on the research stage. Building trust here will lay the foundations for agents completing discovery and purchase steps autonomously, reimagining commerce channels.
The international survey of over 10,000 consumers also shows a clear trend toward earlier Christmas shopping. More than half of all shoppers worldwide are already thinking about Christmas gifts before the traditional shopping season even begins. UK consumers are actively participating in this global trend toward early planning. 60 per cent of UK consumers were planning for their holiday shopping as early as Q3, well ahead of both Black Friday and the traditional holiday shopping season.
In the UK, Black Friday presents an opportunity for retailers to attract new customers, with 8 in 10 shoppers prepared to purchase from online retailers they wouldn’t usually shop with. Retailers can drive engagement with enticing deals and relevant content that boosts chances of discovery over the sales peak. Compared to last year, shoppers are more likely to shop online on Black Friday, primarily due to time savings and the ease of finding the best deals. In the UK, as many as 83 per cent will make their purchases online, while 64 per cent will want to take advantage of offers in brick-and-mortar stores.
AI is fundamentally changing the way consumers plan and carry out their Christmas shopping, with 62 per cent of those surveyed globally finding AI-powered chatbots helpful when shopping online. For 57 per cent of global consumers, ChatGPT has established itself as the leading tool.
Currently, 44 per cent of consumers primarily use AI for product comparisons and 39 per cent for price determination. Particularly relevant for the upcoming season: 50 per cent of global consumers expect AI agents to make holiday shopping more convenient. In Europe, this expectation ranges from one-third to half of all respondents, with many also expecting AI to help them choose more creative gifts.
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