Observed Signal · Oct 14, 2026 · Corporate Update · Source: LiquidM · Impact: 2/5
Holiday Shoppers Are Embracing AI. Here's What Still Wins Them Over.
An article published on the Equativ and LiquidM blog by Amy Bornong examines how holiday shoppers are adopting artificial intelligence during their seasonal shopping journey. The piece explores the consumer touchpoints and value propositions that continue to win over buyers amidst increasing AI commerce adoption.
Highlights programmatic and adtech thought leadership on the integration of artificial intelligence into e-commerce and retail seasonal planning.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Authored by Amy Bornong, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Equativ.
- Originally listed under the AI topic stream on September 14, 2026.
- Featured across Equativ and LiquidM corporate blog resources.
- Focuses on consumer adoption of AI during the holiday shopping season.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Parent ad tech company publishing insights and media platform solutions.”
“Platform hosting the thought leadership article on consumer AI adoption during holiday shopping.”
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Holiday Shoppers Are Embracing AI. Here's What Still Wins Them Over.
According to Equativ's September 2026 survey of 1,000 shoppers across the U.S. and Canada, consumer use of AI assistants for holiday shopping has doubled year-over-year from 32% in 2025 to 66% in 2026. However, consumers primarily use AI late in the purchase journey for comparing prices and finding deals, while traditional discovery methods like in-store browsing (57%) and friends and family (51%) still lead. Furthermore, consumer sentiment toward visible AI-generated creative in ads skews negative, with 44% of 18-to-24-year-olds reporting a worse perception of brands using visible AI imagery.
Where AI is becoming part of the shopping journey first
Stackline's analysis of 40 consumer categories shows that AI question volume as a share of retailer search varies dramatically, from 44.5% for Cameras to 2.1% for Bottled Beverages. AI's relative role is largest when shoppers need help defining their consideration set before searching, especially in complex, attribute-heavy categories. AI question volume is growing rapidly, with Television queries up over 770% year over year, while retailer search remains a distinct and critical channel.
Agentic AI in Shopping: Why the Consumer Research Window Is Growing
A study by RTB House reveals that agentic AI is extending the consumer research and consideration phase rather than shortening it, with 43% of respondents reporting longer decision times. The technology actively introduces alternative products and unfamiliar brands, leading 59% of U.S. consumers to discover new brands. Furthermore, U.S. baby boomers lead adoption in using AI tools for brand discovery at 62%, while Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT emerge as the most trusted platforms.
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