According to the PYMNTS Intelligence report, 23% of US consumers utilized artificial intelligence for product discovery over the past year. Among those who use AI to research potential purchases, 93% rely on the technology for this purpose.
The data indicates that researching and comparing products was the only one of 10 tracked shopping activities to show significant growth. AI is increasingly influencing the initial stages of the consumer journey by helping users navigate complex purchase decisions.
Generative AI synthesizes information based on specific user constraints, which shifts the competitive landscape for brands. The challenge for retailers is evolving from achieving high search rankings to ensuring their products are included in AI-generated recommendations.
Recommendation interfaces can consolidate discovery, education, and comparison into a single interaction. This process often narrows the field of candidates before a consumer reaches a marketplace, meaning much of the competition concludes before a final click occurs.
