"Only if it asks first" is U.S. AI shoppers' top answer for all seven agent tasks, from promo codes to placing orders

Buyer behaviour

Task	Without asking (%)	Only if it asks first (%)	Never (%)
Apply a promo code	38.9%	44.5%	16.5%
Track prices	35.6%	49.8%	14.5%
Research products	34.5%	47.8%	17.6%
Return an item	20%	51.6%	28.4%
Reorder something bought regularly	19.6%	46.5%	33.8%
Add things to a cart	18.7%	47.1%	34.2%
Place an order	16.9%	44.2%	38.9%

Consumer preference for AI agent permission level by shopping task

Reader Note:: Among 550 U.S. shoppers who used AI for product research in the past 90 days, asked whether a shopping agent may act without asking, only if it asks first, or never. "Only if it asks first" leads on every task, from 44.2% (place an order) to 51.6% (return an item). "Without asking" is highest for applying a promo code (38.9%) and tracking prices (35.6%), lowest for placing an order (16.9%), where 38.9% say never. Self-reported online survey of U.S. adults (Aug 27 – Sep 1, 2026), unweighted; Product.ai sells verification products for commerce.
Evidence:: Stated intention
Vendor interest:: High — This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
Sample:: Survey of 1,493 U.S. adults who shop for products, online or in stores, from a general-population panel; unweighted with quotas on age, gender, and region. Trend comparisons use 1,247 online shoppers; AI-user findings mostly use 550 respondents who used AI for product research in the past 90 days.

Good for

Reading the mood, and deciding what to test yourself.

Predicting what people will actually do. Intentions and behaviour come apart.
This was measured in one market. It may not hold where you are.
This is an aggregated or average number that covers very different cases. Real results in a particular segment may differ.
This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.

Gemini and ChatGPT lead AI shopping research in the U.S.; 64.0% of AI shoppers use two or more assistants

Share of AI shoppers using each AI assistant in the past 90 days
Assistant used in the past 90 days	Share of AI users (%)
Google Gemini	63.5%
ChatGPT	60%
Amazon's shopping assistant	27.5%
Walmart's shopping assistant	22.5%
Microsoft Copilot	22.4%

89.9%

of AI users on the online-shopper trend base said they verified the assistant’s recommendation before buying

60%–90%

of consumers’ value perception was explained by price perception across multiple subsectors in Deloitte’s regression analysis

Our Substack turns the data behind these cards into full breakdowns: what changed, why, and what to do about it.

38%

adoption increase in older populations after Dubai Smart ID used a calming tone and simpler biometric explanations in 2021

Only 36% of Gen Z call themselves price-conscious, vs 40% of Millennials, 45% of Gen X and 55% of Boomers

Share of each generation who describe themselves as price-conscious
Generation	Share who describe themselves as price-conscious (%)
Gen Z	36%
Millennials	40%
Gen X	45%
Baby Boomers	55%

86% of both Gen Z and Millennials say a smartphone is their most important device