NEW LAB42 CONSUMER RESEARCH
When AI Enters the Shopping Journey
How consumers are using AI to discover, compare, and buy, and where brands still need permission.
AI is becoming part of real purchase decisions. Lab42 surveyed 500 U.S. consumers to understand where AI is showing up in the shopping process, how much influence it has, and how consumers react when brands use AI themselves.
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AI is already influencing what consumers buy
The study shows AI has moved well beyond experimentation. Consumers are using it across the shopping journey, and its recommendations are changing real decisions.
54%
have used AI while shopping at least once.
Base: all consumers, n=500.
42%
of AI shoppers purchased something AI recommended.
Base: AI shoppers, n=268.
52%
say AI changed at least one purchase decision.
Base: AI shoppers, n=268.
41%
are less likely to buy from a company using AI-created advertising.
Base: all consumers, n=500.
What you’ll learn in the report
The study looks at AI from both sides of the shopping experience: how consumers use it themselves and how they react when brands use it.
How AI fits into the shopping journey
Where consumers use AI for discovery, research, comparison, retailer selection, and final purchase decisions.
Where consumers give brands permission
Why consumers are more comfortable with AI helping them than with AI becoming the voice or face of a brand.
How AI changes brand choice and spending
How recommendations can lead consumers to switch brands, spend less, spend more, or walk away from a purchase
Which audiences are ready now
How regular AI shoppers and AI-first shoppers differ from everyone else, and what that means for rollout strategy.
See what consumers are telling brands about AI
Download the full Lab42 report for the findings, charts, audience differences, and practical recommendations.
About the study: Lab42 surveyed 500 U.S. consumers ages 13 and older online from June 26 to July 6, 2026. Results are unweighted. Respondents were sourced from major online research panels and screened through Lab42’s multi-layer data quality protocol.