According to AlixPartners' 2026 Consumer Sentiment Index, only 10% of U.S. consumers currently begin their product discovery with AI, based on a survey of over 9,000 consumers. Adoption varies by generation and income: 14% of Gen Z and millennials use AI for product search, while nearly 70% of consumers earning $150,000 or more consider AI shopping important compared to 53% of those earning less than $45,000.
Despite low current adoption, the report predicts a forthcoming uptick, particularly for commoditized goods. AI adoption will likely bifurcate the market: upper-income shoppers will view AI as a styling concierge and curator, while other consumers will use it primarily as a price-comparison and decision-making tool. For replenishment basics—such as queries for specific items like "black leggings, true-to-size, under $30"—consumers are expected to increasingly offload purchases to AI agents. This shift will create a critical dependency on product metadata quality. AI agents read structured data—attributes, availability, and price—not imagery or persuasive copy. Retailers with thin or messy product data risk becoming invisible in this fastest-growing discovery channel, while those with clean metadata can surface effectively to AI-powered shoppers.
Major retailers including Target, Best Buy, Macy's, and The Home Depot are already insulating themselves by launching internal AI shopping assistants, recognizing that better AI agents could eventually sideline brands from direct customer relationships if they do not control their own discovery experience.