A summer 2026 YouGov survey found 18% of US adults have used AI to shop, and AI-referred store visits converted far better in September, per Adobe.
About 18% of US adults said they had used AI to help them shop, according to YouGov's summer 2026 survey of 1,495 adults. That is nearly 1 in 5. Another 21% had not tried it but would consider it. The largest group, 54%, had not used it and would not.
For businesses, the sharper number comes from Adobe. It saw a 90% higher conversion rate for retail visits referred by AI than for other visits in September. Conversion means a visit that ends in a purchase. This describes visits, not people, and it does not prove AI caused the buying.
Shoppers who use these tools report real benefits. In McKinsey's June survey, 81% of AI shoppers said it made filtering products easier. Another 80% said it cut scrolling and 79% said it saved time. These are opinions, not measured savings.
Other studies show much higher use. Attentive found 68% of recently active US shoppers had used a general chatbot to shop within three months. McKinsey found 48% in the US, and 53% across 11 markets. The groups surveyed and the questions asked differ, so the numbers should not be lined up as if they measure the same thing.
Younger people lead. In a Product.ai survey of online shoppers, 54.8% of those aged 18 to 24 and 52.4% of those aged 25 to 34 had used AI for product research within 90 days. Among those 65 and older, it was 25.8%. That survey was unweighted, so treat it as a rough guide.
Country matters too. YouGov surveyed 19 markets between July 13 and August 11, 2026. Saudi Arabia was highest at 54%. The US was at 18%.
Price comes first. Among likely Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers, price research led the list of tasks people would hand to AI. Among current AI shoppers in that group, 64% were comfortable with AI finding the best price, 49% with price tracking and 47% with comparing offers. These are stated preferences, not completed tasks.
If you sell online, shoppers may now find you through AI before they ever reach your site. Check how your products show up in AI tools before the holidays. Price and comparison details look like the most useful things to get right.
If you sell online, check how AI tools describe and price your products before the holidays, because shoppers are starting to find you there.
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