Waking up early and waiting in line outside a store for a must-have gift might be a thing of the past. This year, consumers – especially younger ones – are turning to AI to navigate the busiest shopping season of the year.
One-third of consumers plan to use AI for holiday shopping this year, according to new UserTesting research. The company surveyed 4,000 consumers across the United States, United Kingdom and Australia to gauge how consumers will navigate Black Friday and the holiday season against a backdrop of inflation, tariffs, and economic uncertainty.
AI usage will be higher among younger shoppers, with 56% of Gen Zers and 50% of Millennials planning to use it.
Shoppers say they’ll use AI for brainstorming gift ideas, finding the lowest prices, getting direct product links, and checking whether a deal is truly worthwhile.
“Think of AI as the holiday sidekick we didn’t know we needed,” Bobby Meixner, vice president of solution marketing at UserTesting, said in a statement. “It’s giving shoppers fresh ideas, uncovering smarter deals, and helping them put more meaning into every gift.”
Shoppers trust AI, but remain cautious
For many, AI has become a trusted advisor when it comes to making purchases. The survey found 64% of consumers trust AI tools as much as, or more than, friends and family for gifting advice. And more than half of respondents said AI eases the stress and fatigue of holiday shopping.
Most shoppers believe AI will transform how they shop within the next three years. And 74% of those who have used AI for gift advice said it has made them better gift-givers.
But even as more shoppers embrace AI, some concerns persist. A quarter of consumers said they worry about data privacy, 19% worry about scams, and 19% worry about the lack of human touch.
