How AI Is Changing the Consumer Shopping Journey
AI shopping is already here
AI shopping is not something brands need to wait on anymore.
In our 2026 AI Consumer Study, 54% of consumers said they have used AI while shopping at least once. One in five use it very or somewhat often. Consumers are not only using AI to ask for a product recommendation. They are using it to learn what to look for, figure out what type of product they need, discover brands, compare options, decide where to buy, and make final purchase decisions.
That means a brand can now be evaluated before the shopper ever reaches the brand’s website, a retailer page, an ad, or a store.
AI is showing up across the full journey
Among AI shoppers, 49% use AI to learn what to look for before buying. Forty-two percent use it to figure out what kind of product they need, and 37% use it to discover brands they had not considered.
Down the purchase funnel, fifty-five percent use AI to compare brands, products, features, or prices. Half use it to decide where to buy, and thirty-eight percent use it to make a final purchase decision.
Those are very different shopping occasions, requiring different information across each stage. Someone learning about a category needs basic information about what matters. Someone comparing options needs clear differences, proof, reviews, pricing, and reasons to choose one option over another. Someone who is ready to buy needs accurate availability, retailer options, and a reason to act.
One product page probably is not going to do all of that well.
Brands need to think beyond the product page
A lot of brands still think about product information mostly in terms of the website or retailer page. AI adds another layer.
The information that helps an AI tool explain a brand can come from product pages, retailer listings, reviews, FAQs, claims, pricing, availability, customer language, and other public information.
The information around the brand needs to be clear, accurate, consistent, and useful enough that a consumer or an AI tool can understand what makes the product different. More of the information, less of the fluff.
The actual offer still matters
AI is not just another optimization problem either.
AI may make it easier for consumers to compare products side by side. If another option has a better price, stronger proof, better reviews, or a clearer fit, the answer may point the shopper somewhere else.
Brands need to understand how they show up in those comparisons, but they also need to make sure the product and offer hold up once the comparison happens and that the consumer understands the value.
What brands should do now
Start by mapping the questions consumers are likely to ask at different points in the shopping journey.
What should I look for?
What are the differences?
Which option is best for me?
Where should I buy it?
Is it worth the price?
Then look at whether the brand has useful, accurate information that answers those questions.
AI shopping should now be part of customer journey planning alongside search, retail, social, and ecommerce. The behavior is already here. The next step is understanding how the brand shows up when AI helps consumers decide.
Read the full report:
https://www.lab42.com/ai-shopping-report
