Accenture: Consumers show growing trust in AI shopping agents

Consumers are displaying a willingness to let AI agents tackle extra shopping-related duties, in keeping with new analysis from Accenture.

The firm’s 2026 Consumer Pulse Research, primarily based on a survey of 25,590 shoppers throughout 16 nations, discovered that 74% of respondents would trust a private AI agent greater than their greatest good friend to make a purchase order on their behalf.

The report described this as a transfer past the usage of chatbots or search instruments. In this context, an AI agent refers to software program that may act on a client’s behalf inside set permissions. It can store, negotiate, resolve complaints, handle subscriptions, and, in some circumstances, full purchases.

Consumers are able to delegate

The survey discovered that 74% of shoppers would enable an AI agent to deal with routine duties. These embrace deal negotiation, criticism decision, subscription renewals, and product reorders.

Accenture stated this stage of delegation doesn’t imply shoppers are prepared at hand over each choice. Instead, the findings recommend that customers are extra open to delegating elements of shopping that really feel repetitive, time-consuming, or low-risk.

The report additionally discovered that 32% of shoppers would ask an AI agent to make a purchase order choice on their behalf inside outlined limits. These limits may embrace price range and model preferences, with different circumstances set by the consumer.

In that state of affairs, the AI agent would select the very best accessible possibility, however the client would nonetheless overview and approve the acquisition earlier than fee. The report categorised this as delegated decision-making, separate from activity execution and autonomous buying.

Autonomy nonetheless has limits

A smaller group of shoppers is open to AI agents finishing purchases with out last approval. The report discovered that 9% of respondents would enable an agent to provoke and full purchases inside outlined boundaries.

The fee stage recorded decrease openness to autonomous agent choices. Accenture stated solely 12% of shoppers are open to agents making buy choices autonomously on the fee stage.

The report recognized a number of circumstances that have an effect on client willingness to delegate extra management. These embrace knowledge safeguards, configurable permissions, and on the spot override choices. Clear recourse, platform repute, and perceived neutrality additionally have an effect on trust.

Consumers are extra snug with AI agent autonomy in elements of the journey the place effort is excessive and emotional stakes are decrease. The report pointed to negotiation and post-purchase help as areas the place shoppers confirmed better openness.

The report stated recurring companies ranked highest throughout levels of delegation, whereas way of life and journey purchases confirmed a sharper drop as autonomy elevated.

It additionally stated shoppers usually tend to preserve management over decisions linked to id or private enjoyment. A client could delegate routine grocery restocking however nonetheless need to select a resort room, clothes merchandise, or expertise immediately.

What it means for manufacturers

The report stated AI-assisted shopping requires manufacturers and retailers to make product info clear and machine-readable. If shoppers use agents to check choices, pricing, availability, insurance policies, and claims may also must be simple for agents to evaluate.

AI agents can examine manufacturers utilizing structured attributes and verified claims. They can even weigh price-to-value ratios and fulfilment information. The report stated this impacts how manufacturers seem throughout digital channels, together with engines like google, marketplaces, and social platforms.

The report discovered that 56% of all shoppers would inform their AI agent which manufacturers to contemplate. Among behaviorally loyal shoppers, 37% stated they’d enable an agent to modify manufacturers if it discovered a greater match.

The report linked model switching to components corresponding to match, worth, availability, and repair efficiency.

Accenture additionally discovered that customers have an interest in agents that may work throughout suppliers. The report stated 61% need an agent that may store throughout a number of grocery retailers on their behalf, whereas 71% need an agent that may plan and e book a whole journey throughout airways, lodges, and actions.

Brands and retailers want product knowledge, pricing, availability, insurance policies, and claims to be readable by the techniques agents use to guage choices, in keeping with the report.

The primary causes cited had been current data of shopping preferences, trust constructed by service and help, and entry to a broad choice of services.

The report listed a number of attainable roles for manufacturers and retailers in AI-assisted commerce. Some could construct their very own agents, whereas others could combine knowledge, stock, and companies into platforms that customers already use.

The report cited verified info, clear stock, clear pricing, and dependable fulfilment knowledge as components that may assist agents consider manufacturers extra simply.

It additionally discovered that 71% of shoppers anticipate generative AI to affect no less than half of their spending choices over the subsequent 12 months.

The report additionally discovered that 63% of shoppers need agents to buy their “idealised self.” Examples embrace serving to them make more healthy decisions or keep inside price range. Some respondents additionally need agents to help extra intentional upgrades.

Among lively generative AI customers, 26% stated they’d already purchased a dearer merchandise as a result of AI elevated their confidence in the choice. The similar proportion stated AI had led them to extend their basket measurement.

Stores nonetheless matter

The survey additionally requested shoppers how AI may have an effect on shops. It discovered that 87% consider AI will have an effect on the function of shops. Another 31% stated shops will grow to be extra necessary for creating moments of enjoyment.

The findings show decrease openness to full automation than to routine activity delegation. It exhibits a extra selective sample, with shoppers delegating routine or lower-risk duties whereas retaining management over purchases that contain private desire, threat, or emotional worth.

The report stated some model analysis may happen inside agent-led comparability techniques earlier than shoppers go to an internet site, app, or retailer.

(Photo by Growtika)

See additionally: Visa ChatGPT integration enables AI agent retail purchasing

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