E-commerce
Gen Z views AI as e-commerce booster
September 28, 2023
A hefty number of Gen Z consumers, 88%, believe AI will improve online shopping.
That's a top finding of a Rokt and Harris poll study that revealed the top five ways the technology will boost e-commerce.
"Brands and retailers across categories are scrambling to identify how they can best use AI to elevate their e-commerce customer experience and drive revenue," Elizabeth Buchanan, chief commercial officer at Rokt, said in a press release on the findings.. "This research provides decision makers with a roadmap for creating new strategies and implementing advanced tech, such as AI, to significantly help improve the online shopping experience in ways that will surprise and delight shoppers."
Gen Z consumers globally are optimistic about AI's role in e-commerce, with 55% of respondents interested in an AI assistant that would make online shopping more convenient by simplifying product discovery and anticipating their needs and desires. Additionally, 51% of Gen Zers say they are interested in augmented reality and virtual reality shopping experiences.
Gen Zers said AI will improve online shopping by making it easier to:
- Compare prices (47%).
- Find deals (45%).
- Receive relevant offers and product suggestions (41%).
- Receive personalized assistance (37%).
- Find reviews (28%).
Additional findings include:
- 63% said that, due to inflation, they now spend more time online searching for lower prices, relevant deals and offers.
- Consumers ranked "relevant deals" as the #1 thing they are interested in when shopping, with 55% of Gen Zers interested in curated deals from their favorite influencers and content creators.
- When shopping experiences don't feel personalized, 20%–29% of consumers say they will walk away from their cart, the brand or the experience.
- Among U.S. respondents, 73% often experience some form of frustration or barrier at checkout, including having to log in/make an account (33%), too many ads at checkout (34%), or irrelevant ads and product recommendations (33%).
- When encountering a frustrating checkout experience, 40% of U.S. consumers have reconsidered their purchase or removed items from their cart, 37% have abandoned their cart and not returned to it and 22% say that kind of experience has lowered their perception of the brand.
- Among Gen Zers globally, 73% agree "it's satisfying when I find something I needed last-minute while checking out."
- In addition, 67% of Gen Zers globally agree they "enjoy the feeling of adding a little something extra to my online shopping cart when I'm checking out."
