The news: AI use in shopping is being disproportionately adopted by younger and high-income consumers, though hesitation lingers about whether to let AI handle transactions.

• 41% of US Gen Zers regularly use AI assistants to shop for products, compare prices, or autonomously make purchases, compared with just 28% of the overall US adult population, per Morning Consult.
• 43% of US households with an income of $100,000 or more use AI assistants for shopping, versus 22% of those who make $50,000 or less.

However, comfort levels for letting AI buy on users’ behalf vary even among Gen Z, the most receptive group.

• Only 30% are comfortable with autonomous purchases for travel, but that number rises to 46% for groceries and essentials, highlighting how everyday purchases may feel more low-risk.
• 34% are okay with sharing payment card details with an AI assistant.

The bigger picture: AI offers marketers access to high-value consumers and has the potential to reshape the behavior of those with strong purchasing power, making AI visibility especially important for premium brands.

Consumers are relying on AI to narrow options and surface news ones while keeping control over when and how they buy. That means influencing AI recommendations is a more immediate opportunity for most brands than enabling agentic purchases.

Recommendations for brands: Prioritize accurate product information, clear site search options, competitive product features, and visibility in AI results. Meanwhile, maintain seamless paths to traditional checkout for consumers who aren’t ready to hand over purchase control, considering one-quarter of the general population isn’t interested in AI shopping at all.

Grocers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) retailers can build off Gen Z’s comfort with agentic buying of essentials by exploring sponsored placements in AI answers and optimizing metadata for AI answers.

To capture high-income shoppers’ attention, experiment with AI-exclusive product bundles or personalized offers that give them a reason to try new brands that AI may surface.

And ahead of the holiday shopping season, make product categories on websites that AI can understand and index—such as “gifts for dad” or “gifts for nature lovers”—that encourage exploration of premium items.

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