Following its recent report on the rise of agentic commerce, NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, today released new data showing that AI is becoming embedded in how consumers shop—providing one of the first clear, data-backed views into how this shift is taking place in practice.
NIQ’s findings show that AI is influencing how consumers evaluate options, compare products, find the best pricing or discounts, and narrow choices before making a purchase. Rather than fully automating decisions, AI is a guiding influence, reshaping the path to purchase while consumers remain in control.
AI adoption is already taking hold across the shopping journey, with consumers engaging at varying levels of involvement. Key findings from the new research include:
- 42% of consumers have used at least one AI tool to shop within the past month
- 17% have used AI for product recommendations
- 10% have used a voice assistant to purchase and/or reorder items
- 19% use a subscribe or auto-replenish feature for repeat purchases
- 10% have engaged with an AI-powered shopping assistant
- 5% have used fully autonomous AI agents to place orders on their behalf
Together, these behaviors show that while fully autonomous shopping remains limited, AI-assisted decision-making is becoming a mainstream part of how consumers shop.
“We are witnessing the early stages of an industry-wide fundamental shift from search to decision,” said Liz Buchanan, President of North America, NIQ. “AI is not replacing the consumer, but it is dramatically reshaping how choices are made. The companies that win in this next era will be the ones that understand how to show up in those moments and deliver both value and trust.”
The research also highlights a critical nuance: while consumers are increasingly open to AI-assisted shopping, most are not yet ready to fully delegate decisions. Instead, AI is being adopted as a tool to simplify and accelerate choices, compressing the path from consideration to selection without removing human control.
This dynamic is elevating the role of trust. As AI plays a larger role in shaping what consumers see and evaluate, expectations around accuracy, transparency, and data responsibility are rising. Consumers remain willing to switch brands for better value, but in an AI-influenced environment, brands that fail to meet these expectations risk not being surfaced at all.
For retailers and manufacturers, this shift introduces a new challenge: traditional measures of performance are no longer enough. As AI plays a larger role in shaping decisions, visibility within recommendations, and influence across the full decision journey will become critical drivers of growth.
“The shelf is evolving,” Buchanan said. “It’s no longer just physical or digital; it’s algorithmic. That changes how products compete, how performance is measured, and how growth is unlocked.”
NIQ will expand on these findings, including insights from The Commerce Revolution global report, and outline how brands and retailers can respond to the agentic commerce era at its annual C360 event, taking place June 8-11, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas. To learn more and register for the event, visit the NIQ C360 event page.
Methodology
NIQ’s findings are based on its ongoing Quick Question research, with a monthly sample of approximately 500 consumers across the United States in early 2026.
FAQs
What does NIQ’s latest research show about the role of AI in shopping today?
The newly released research shows that AI is already influencing how consumers compare options, evaluate value, and narrow choices during the shopping journey. While usage remains emergent, these behaviors indicate that AI-driven influence is taking hold earlier in the decision process.
How is AI changing the consumer decision journey, according to the research?
Rather than replacing shopping, AI is compressing decision-making. The findings show AI helping consumers move faster from consideration to selection by streamlining comparisons and surfacing relevant options across retailers.
How can brands and retailers stay informed on NIQ’s agentic commerce research?
NIQ will continue to share updated research findings on an ongoing basis. Data cited in this release comes from NIQ’s proprietary agentic commerce tracker, which is a monthly series being conducted in the United States focused on agentic commerce and adoption among US consumers. For more information, please contact Jason Boyd, jason.boyd@nielseniq.com.
Brands and retailers can also access deeper insights through NIQ’s newly released global report, The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West, which examines how Eastern-led commerce innovation and Western retail media monetization are converging to reshape global consumer commerce; through NIQ’s Commerce Lab, which explores how AI-driven decision-making is transforming shopping behavior, product discovery, and performance measurement across retail and brand ecosystems; and at NIQ’s annual C360 event.
How does this Early Signals research connect to NIQ’s broader Commerce Intelligence work?
Early Signals is part of NIQ’s broader Commerce Intelligence framework, which combines real-time consumer behavior data with advanced analytics to help brands and retailers understand how commerce is evolving. These findings complement NIQ’s global research and innovation efforts focused on how AI, data, and decision systems are reshaping the future of commerce.
About NIQ
NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.
With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release regarding new data showing that AI is becoming embedded in how consumers shop may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “believes,” “forecasts,” “plan,” “look ahead,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law.
© 2026 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.
NIQ-GENERAL
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260505413253/en/
Media gallery
