Observed Signal · Jul 1, 2026 · Research Release · Source: https://martechseries.com/feed/ · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Zeta Research: Agentic Commerce Gains Consumer Trust
Zeta Global published new research indicating growing consumer willingness to delegate parts of the shopping journey to AI agents, signaling early adoption of "agentic commerce." The online May 2026 survey polled 2,000 U.S. adults who reported using AI to make a purchase within the prior three months. The study finds parents are especially open to AI-driven buying: they are more likely to authorize purchases within budgets, reorder household essentials automatically, and discover new brands via AI. Across respondents, 70% prefer completing purchases on a brand’s website rather than via AI, and 54% favor brand-built personalized AI experiences over general-purpose AI tools. Zeta executives highlighted implications for brand discovery, relevance, trust, and the value of first-party data in AI recommendation environments.
The research provides measurable consumer signals that AI agents are starting to influence discovery and purchasing preferences, which has practical implications for brands, MarTech vendors, and first-party data strategies — relevant but not immediately industry‑shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Zeta Global released AI shopping behavior research based on an online May 2026 survey of 2,000 U.S. adults who had used AI to make a purchase within the prior three months.
- Parents were more likely to authorize agentic actions: 43% would allow AI to make purchases within a set budget (versus 27% of non-parents) and 43% would let AI automatically reorder household essentials (versus 31% of non-parents).
- Seventy percent of AI shoppers prefer purchasing directly from a brand’s website rather than buying through AI, indicating AI’s current role is stronger in discovery and decision than in transaction execution.
- Fifty-four percent of AI shoppers would choose a brand’s personalized AI experience over a general-purpose AI tool (58% among ages 18–45).
- Survey-wide behavior shifts: 36% of AI shoppers spend less time researching purchases, 59% say AI reduced the likelihood they will return a purchase, and 29% say AI made them less likely to shop in-store.
Connected Companies & Entities
5 Entities mapped“Zeta Global, the AI Marketing Cloud, unveiled new findings from its latest AI shopping behavior research, highlighting that consumers are in...”
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Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Consumers Warm to Agentic AI Purchases
A new RTB House survey of more than 1,800 consumers across the U.S., U.K., Japan and France finds growing consumer openness to agentic AI handling purchases, while many still want human oversight. In the U.S., respondents said AI tools broaden options and help discover brands; 42% said AI extends decision time and 59% credited AI with highlighting brands they didn’t know. Some consumers — especially older cohorts — prefer a human to review transactions before an AI agent completes purchases. The article also cites Amazon CEO Andy Jassy saying 350+ million customers used Alexa for Shopping in the past year and notes McKinsey & ICSC project U.S. agentic commerce could reach $1 trillion by 2030.
Agentic Commerce: Why Do Shoppers Delegate Purchase Decisions to AI?
Agentic commerce is reshaping the buying journey. For consumers, it means researching, comparing, and discovering products is easier and more user-centric than ever. Consumer trust in AI is already surprisingly high compared with other channels, and with AI commerce, some shoppers are even comfortable granting transactional autonomy. Brands need to be responsive to the new paradigm if they are to seize opportunities and avoid pitfalls. This article explores, through the lens of our own research, consumer delegation habits, key privacy and control thresholds, and actionable steps that retail leaders can take to build trust.
Synchrony and Oxford Economics: Trust Key for AI Shopping
A new study by Synchrony and Oxford Economics reveals that consumer trust is the primary factor driving adoption of AI-powered shopping and agentic commerce. The research, based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers and interviews with industry leaders, found that data security (82%) and transparency (77%) matter more to consumers than convenience (58%). Fraud protection is a major adoption driver, with 67% of consumers willing to use AI more if it includes such safeguards. Consumers are comfortable delegating low-risk purchases under $50 to AI, but 46% would not use AI for purchases of $5,000 or more. The study highlights the need for businesses to build trust through protection, transparency, and control, and Synchrony is developing capabilities to help partners prepare for agentic commerce.
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