If an AI agent scours the internet for the lowest price, won't consumers simply buy whatever the algorithm suggests? According to two reports released in 2026, the answer is no.
While AI shopping behavior is rapidly changing how consumers discover products, new research shows that the final purchase decision remains deeply human.
Generative AI is doing the heavy lifting of research, but traditional ecommerce brand trust and social proof are what actually close the sale. For sales and marketing leaders navigating the rise of agentic commerce, the data reveals a critical insight: you'll need to do more than just optimize your product for the algorithm.
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AI is the Researcher, Not the Buyer
The adoption of AI in the retail journey has moved past early experimentation and into everyday utility.
According to a January 2026 report by Omnisend polling 4,000 consumers, 63% of Americans have used generative AI for shopping-related tasks in the past six months. However, they are not using it to blindly make purchases.
The vast majority use AI for highly practical, top-of-funnel tasks: researching and comparing products (47%), finding deals (41%), and summarizing reviews (39%).
This data is corroborated by new research from PSE Consulting, which surveyed 4,250 consumers across the US and Europe. The PSE report found that price comparison is the single most influential factor in AI-assisted shopping, cited by 32% of consumers as their primary decision driver.
What is most telling, however, is what consumers aren't doing. Only 14% of shoppers say they simply follow the AI's top recommendation.
Why Brand Recognition Closes the Sale
If consumers are not just clicking "buy" on the AI's first suggestion, how are they making their decisions? The PSE Consulting research provides a stark reality check for marketers: 89% of respondents say recognizing the seller's brand is "important" or "very important" when acting on an AI recommendation. Furthermore, 92% say customer reviews matter when deciding between AI-generated options.
"What the research shows clearly is that consumers are using agents to find the best online deals," notes Chris Jones, Managing Director at PSE Consulting. However, he highlights there is also more to it:
"...once the shortlist is in front of the consumer, the same signals that have always driven purchasing decisions take over: does the consumer recognize the seller’s brand, and what do other customers say about it?”
This dynamic fundamentally changes how brands must approach agentic commerce. There is currently a rush to master "Answer Engine Optimization" (AEO) - ensuring your product is the one the AI selects. But being selected by the AI is only half the battle.
If an AI presents a consumer with three options, and one is a recognized brand while the other two are unknown entities, research points to the recognized brand having a big advantage. The AI may level the playing field for discovery, but ecommerce brand trust remains a core conversion metric.
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