Are you ready to let ChatGPT or Siri pick out your family’s holiday presents? As tech companies tout the ability of their artificial intelligence tools to take on tasks like shopping, a new survey reveals how consumers are expected to integrate AI into holiday shopping this year.
This survey was commissioned by Omnisend, an email and SMS automation company, and conducted by Cint in January of 2026 of this year. It polled 4,000 consumers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. about their shopping habits from the previous 12 months.
In the U.S., the survey found that shoppers most often used generative AI to conduct product research and recommendations, with 47% who said they used it for that purpose over the previous 6-month period. They also used AI to help find deals, summarize reviews, brainstorm gift ideas, make shopping lists and discover “unique or niche items,” Omnisend said.
Overall, 63% of Americans said they used generative AI for shopping-related tasks during that 6-month period – that was lower than the 67% of Brits who said they used AI for shopping but higher than the 59% of Canadians and 61% of Australians who said the same.
“Compared to August 2025, usage has grown in most markets,” said Omnisend. “Last year, 59% of Americans, 55% of Brits, 56% of Canadians, and 55% of Australians reported using generative AI for shopping tasks. The shift suggests AI is moving beyond early adoption and into everyday use.”
At this point, there are multiple generative AI tools to choose from, including ChatGPT from OpenAI, Gemini from Google, Copilot from Microsoft, Rufus from Amazon and Claude from Antrhopic. When the Onmisend survey was conducted, 56% of Americans said they used ChatGPT for shopping. In fact, it said that ChatGPT outperformed Gemini, Copilot and Rufus throughout the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Australia.
“Perception has shifted alongside usage,” said Omnisend, adding that “42% of American shoppers say ChatGPT provides better product recommendations than search engines, compared to 44% in the U.K., 48% in Canada, and 52% in Australia.” It said that in early 2025, those numbers were closer to one in four across markets.
Shoppers also noted that more retailers have built AI into their shopping experience. Omnisend’s survey found that 13% of U.S. shoppers have already used AI tools built into retailer websites as of this January.
“Most notably, AI is beginning to function as a checkout environment,” Omnisend explained. “In late September 2025, OpenAI introduced Instant Checkout within ChatGPT, allowing users to browse, select, and complete purchases without leaving the chat interface. The feature is currently available only in the U.S., and 38% of Americans say they’ve completed a purchase directly inside ChatGPT without being redirected to another website.”
While AI is becoming more embedded in consumer experiences, there are still concerns about the technology, from the impact of data centers on the environment to concerning reports about rogue AI. When it comes to using AI to shop, Audacy has recently looked into questions about who is financially responsible when those AI programs make mistakes.
Despite the concerns, Omnisend found that AI is attractive to consumers who want to save time and make shopping easier. Around 40 to 45% of shoppers citing “decision fatigue” as a reason to reach out to AI for help.
“But enthusiasm has limits,” Omnisend said. “When asked about their biggest concerns, shoppers consistently point to transparency and control. Around half across markets (45–51%) worry about how their data is collected or how recommendations are generated. Roughly one-third are concerned that prices or choices may be optimized for the platform rather than for them.”
