What shoppers really want from AI in retail (and where brands are missing the mark)
AI is everywhere in retail right now, from chatbots and recommendations to personalized offers and automated content. But for shoppers, the question isn’t whether AI is present. It’s whether it actually helps.
UserTesting’s 2026 State of AI in Retail Experiences report reveals a clear truth from the consumer side: shoppers reward AI when it reduces effort and increases confidence — and reject it when it feels intrusive, inaccurate, or blocks access to human help
This research, based on feedback from more than 1,100 shoppers across the U.S. and Europe, shows where AI is genuinely improving shopping experiences — and where retailers are investing in ways customers don’t actually value.
Shoppers aren’t anti-AI. They’re anti-friction.
"People don’t want technology for technology’s sake. What they want is a wonderful experience. They don’t care what the technology is that’s behind it, that powers it,” said Phillip Jackson, CEO of Future Commerce, in his interview on the Insights Unlocked podcast.
Consumers aren’t dazzled by AI for AI’s sake anymore. The novelty has worn off. What they want instead is decision support.
Across regions, shoppers consistently said the most helpful AI features are:
- Smarter product search
- More relevant recommendations
- Clear delivery and availability information
Nearly half of shoppers want AI to help them find the right product faster, while far fewer want it focused on customer support interactions
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UserTesting’s 2026 State of AI in Retail Experiences
“In reality, the best investments are unsexy. And to your point, it’s search, it’s discovery, comparison… it’s definitely in inventory, it’s like availability. It’s post-purchase support. And those are the places where shoppers feel the most pain,” Phillip said.
This aligns with what we’ve seen in recent shopping moments like Black Friday, where AI became a practical starting point for discovery and comparison—but not the final source of truth. Shoppers still verify details on retailer sites before purchasing, especially when accuracy matters most.
The biggest trust breaker? When AI gets in the way
While AI can streamline shopping, it can also quickly erode trust. Shoppers pointed to three major red flags:
- Unhelpful or looping chatbots
- Irrelevant recommendations
- Personalization that feels “creepy” or overly invasive
More than half of shoppers distrust AI-powered chatbots, and losing access to a human is their top concern overall
“There can be a loss of trust pretty quickly when you realize it’s not a human," Phillip said. "The goal is not to remove friction everywhere—it’s to have those little bits of trust in the system that are checkpoints that make us feel like we have trust.”
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This helps explain why simply scaling AI across every touchpoint often backfires. When AI replaces human support instead of complementing it, shoppers feel trapped — not helped.
AI matters most at the beginning of the journey
One of the clearest signals from the research: AI is most valuable early in the shopping process.
Shoppers want help:
- Comparing similar products
- Finding good deals
- Choosing the right option without exhaustive research
This is also where confidence breaks down most often. The report shows that the largest drop-off in shopping journeys happens before items are added to cart — not at checkout.
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When AI clarifies trade-offs, fit, and value before that moment, it increases the likelihood that shoppers move forward. When it adds steps or ambiguity, abandonment accelerates.
“What we’re finding in our research at Future Commerce is that people are more likely to have higher intent to purchase when they come from an AI-based recommendation," Phillip said. "That path to purchase, just like it happens on TikTok, is like a collapsed funnel. They are highly intent on purchasing once they leave the AI and arrive on the brand site.”
Shoppers still trust themselves more than algorithms
Even with better AI tools available, consumers still rely most on:
- Their own research
- Reviews from other customers
AI recommendations aren’t rejected — but they’re treated as supporting input, not final authority. The opportunity for retailers isn’t to replace human judgment, but to augment it with clearer comparisons, better information, and transparent reasoning.
What this means for retailers in 2026
From the consumer point of view, the path forward is surprisingly clear:
- Invest in AI that improves discovery and decision confidence
- Keep humans available when trust and resolution matter
- Be transparent about how personalization works
- Test AI experiences continuously, not just before launch
The best brands focus on the basics, Phillip said. If you can’t get those right, you’re not going to get AI right. Clean, reliable data and a feedback loop with customers, those are what really drive value, not just shiny new features.
Retailers who get this right won’t just ship more AI features—they’ll build experiences that feel helpful, human, and trustworthy.
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