AI

AI will power holiday shopping

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August 19, 2026

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Artificial intelligence discovery will play a meaningful role in this year's retail holiday season, with 72% of U.S. consumers regularly or at least occasionally tapping AI tools for ideas and recommendations.

That's a top finding from the Optimove Insights Holiday Shopping Report 2026. Optimove Insights is the analytical and research arm of Optimove.

The data revealed AI-assisted discovery is influencing how consumers find products, compare options, and generate gift ideas, according to a press release. Product recommendation AI features have been used by 55% of respondents, followed by chatbots at 41% and visual search at 31%.

While the new technologies are reshapint discovery behaviors, holiday shopping will also be led by brand familiarity and strong spending intent: Over half, 53%, of consumers plan to shop exclusively at stores they used last year, 55% expect to spend more than last year and another 30% plan to maintain the same budget.

The report is based on a survey of 648 U.S. consumers conducted in Spring 2026.