Introduction to AI in Shopping
A new study by IAB and Talk Shoppe reveals that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way people shop online. The study found that AI is helping people discover new products and compare options, but it’s not the final step in the shopping journey. In fact, AI is pushing people to verify details on retailer sites, search, reviews, and forums rather than replacing those steps.
Key Findings of the Study
The study combined over 450 screen-recorded AI shopping sessions with a U.S. survey of 600 consumers. The key points of the study are:
- AI pushes people to verify details on retailer sites, search, reviews, and forums rather than replacing those steps.
- Only about half of consumers fully trust AI recommendations, which creates predictable detours when links are broken or specs and pricing don’t match.
- Retailer traffic rises after AI, with one in three shoppers clicking through directly from an assistant.
How AI Affects the Shopping Journey
AI speeds up research and makes it more focused, especially for comparing options, but it increases the number of steps as shoppers validate details elsewhere. In the sessions, people averaged 1.6 steps before AI and 3.8 afterward, and 95% took extra steps to feel confident before ending a session. Retailer and marketplace sites are the primary destination for validation, with 78% of shoppers visiting a retailer or marketplace during the journey, and 32% clicking directly from an AI tool.
Low Trust in AI Recommendations
Trust is a major constraint when it comes to AI shopping recommendations. Only 46% of consumers fully trusted AI shopping recommendations. Common friction points where people lost trust were:
- Missing links or sources
- Mismatched specs or pricing
- Outdated availability
- Recommendations that didn’t fit budget or compatibility needs
These friction points sent people back to search, retailers, reviews, and forums.
Why This Matters to Retailers
AI chatbots now shape mid-journey research, and if product data, comparison content, and reviews are inconsistent with retailer listings, shoppers will notice when they verify elsewhere. This reinforces the need to align details across channels to retain customer trust.
What to Do with This Information
Based on the report’s information, retailers can take the following concrete steps:
- Keep specs, pricing, availability, and variants in sync with retailer feeds.
- Build comparison and “alternatives” pages around the attributes people prompt for.
- Expand structured data for specs, variants, availability, and reviews.
- Create content to answer common objections surfaced in forums and comment threads.
- Monitor the queries and communities where shoppers validate information to close recurring gaps.
Looking Ahead
Respondents said AI made research feel easier, but confidence still depends on clear sources and verified reviews. Expect assistants to keep influencing discovery while retailer and brand pages confirm the details that matter. For more insight into how AI influences the shopping journey, see the full report.
Conclusion
In conclusion, AI is changing the way people shop online, but it’s not a replacement for human verification. Retailers need to ensure that their product data, comparison content, and reviews are consistent across channels to retain customer trust. By taking the concrete steps outlined in this article, retailers can improve the shopping experience for their customers and stay ahead of the competition.