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Shoppers burned by bad AI recommendations, survey finds

A SmartCustomer survey of nearly 1,200 US consumers reveals that while 89% don't fully trust AI recommendations, 76% have used AI to make purchases in the past year, and a third made regrettable purchases based on AI advice. Electronics, apparel, and footwear dominate these poor choices. The survey also indicates that 98% believe AI companies hold responsibility for validating sources and legitimacy, and 53% suspect companies of manipulating AI recommendations with false information. Additional findings show gender and generational divides in AI shopping adoption, with men shopping via AI more than women, and Gen Z being more hesitant. Other surveys by YouGov, RTB House, and Gartner corroborate trust issues and consumer preference for human oversight in AI-assisted commerce.

• 76% of consumers have used AI to make purchases in the past year, despite 89% lacking full trust in AI recommendations.
• A third of survey respondents (33%) made a regrettable purchase based on an AI recommendation, with electronics, apparel, and footwear accounting for most bad purchases.
• 98% of respondents believe AI companies should take at least some responsibility for validating the sources of a recommendation and confirming company legitimacy.

How does Agentic AI impact the holiday path to purchase?

New RTB House research, Who’s Buying? Consumer Trust in the Age of Agentic AI, shows that artificial intelligence tools are reshaping Black Friday consumer behavior, turning rapid impulse buying into a longer, AI-guided evaluation period.

Attribution Remains Difficult: First Visit Rarely Leads to Purchase

A new European Shopping Trends Report by RTB House reveals that only 27% of European consumers make a purchase on their first website visit. Half require two to three visits, and 19% need four to five visits. The study, conducted by Censuswide with 4,500 respondents across nine countries, shows that 81% compare multiple brands before buying and 75% visit more than one retailer website. Reasons for abandoning initial visits include price comparison (28%), reading reviews (20%), and seeking promotions (17%). Additionally, 22% of shoppers research online but purchase in physical stores, complicating attribution. AI-based product discovery is emerging, with 21% using services like ChatGPT or Gemini. RTB House argues for longer-term retargeting, while acknowledging that the study measures behavior, not causal effects of retargeting.

• Only 27% of European consumers purchase on their first website visit.
• 81% of respondents consider more than one brand before making a purchase.
• 22% of shoppers research online but complete purchases in physical stores.