AI Is Changing the Shopping Process

Frankfurt am Main, 26/02/2026 – How are purchasing decisions changing in the age of artificial intelligence? The second part of the GFU study conducted in January provides insightful answers. The representative survey was carried out on behalf of GFU Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH by YouGov among 2,002 consumers in Germany.

AI-based chatbots are now firmly integrated into everyday life for more than two-thirds of respondents. The role of AI in obtaining information is particularly clear: across all age groups, 69 percent use generative AI models primarily to obtain information quickly and in a targeted way – a clear indication of the potential of digital assistance systems in consumer-related decision-making processes as well. Around a quarter already use digital assistants for product research or purchasing advice (24%), with people over 55 doing so at an above-average rate (29%).

Consumers who already use AI systems in the context of shopping are generally tech-savvy and particularly often purchase IT products such as laptops, tablets or PCs online (70%). Smartphones and telecommunications devices rank second (65%), followed by small household appliances such as coffee machines or blenders (64%).

The attachment to AI assistants is remarkable: almost three-quarters of respondents (73%) who use AI today can imagine interacting with it even more frequently in the future. The loss of virtual AI assistants would even be a noticeable loss for every second current user (53%). 41% of respondents sometimes even perceive AI as a conversation partner.

The vast majority of respondents are optimistic about AI: nearly nine out of ten users (88%) are convinced that generative AI models will become a natural part of everyday life in the future. Well over half of users see more opportunities than risks in AI (63%) and believe that AI will improve quality of life (62%). At the same time, there is also critical engagement: 72% are concerned about misinformation caused by AI, and 80% call for a stronger societal discussion about how to deal with this technology.

“The results show very clearly that AI is playing an increasingly important role in shopping behavior”, Chardon summarizes. “Especially in the exploration and purchasing process, AI will be indispensable in the future. This creates a need for retailers and brands to make product information and offers findable for digital assistants and accessible to AIs. At the same time, the most popular AIs are becoming the bottleneck for reaching customers – AI optimization is the new SEO/SEA,” Chardon describes as the conclusion of the GFU study for the industries. “AI is not perceived as a replacement for human decisions, but as a supportive, efficient sparring partner.”

For companies, this also means: anyone who wants to build trust should place transparency, comprehensibility and genuine added value at the center of their digital offerings.