Two-thirds (67%) of U.S. shoppers have used AI tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to manage their purchases in the last three months, according to a survey of 600 consumers by marketing firm Attentive (Retail Dive - Technology). For Gen Z consumers, adoption rises to 80% (Retail Dive - Technology). Nearly three-quarters (71%) of shoppers plan to start holiday shopping before Black Friday, with almost half (46%) shopping prior to November (Retail Dive - Technology).
Shoppers are deploying AI across multiple stages of the purchase journey. While 58% ask AI tools about specific products, 51% use them to compare products, brands, and features, 45% seek product recommendations, and 43% hunt for deals and coupons (Retail Dive - Technology). For commerce practitioners, this signals that retailers winning the holiday season must integrate AI-powered personalization across channels and deliver individualized experiences before the promotional rush begins, according to Jema Birkmeyer, vice president of strategic sales at Attentive (Retail Dive - Technology). Beyond discounts, 68% of respondents cited free shipping as the top purchase incentive, followed by gift with purchase (42%), price match guarantees (39%), and loyalty points (35%) (Retail Dive - Technology).