Why AI Shopping Assistants Won’t Drive an Immediate Shift to Ecommerce

The Tools Are Disrupting the Path to Purchase but Can’t Solve the Core Challenges of Ecommerce

Report by Carina Perkins  | UPDATED: Oct 6, 2025
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
AI shopping assistants’ near-term impact will be incremental, not transformative
The AI shopping assistant landscape is evolving fast
The fulfillment gap, in-store preferences, and trust barriers stand in the way of a fundamental channel shift
What we expect to happen in the near and long term
Recommendations for retailers and brands
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
AI shopping assistants are boosting discovery and personalization, but trust issues and fulfillment challenges could limit their impact on channel migration.
Topics
Ecommerce Sales
Consumer Behavior
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Worldwide
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
AI shopping assistants’ near-term impact will be incremental, not transformative
The AI shopping assistant landscape is evolving fast
The fulfillment gap, in-store preferences, and trust barriers stand in the way of a fundamental channel shift
What we expect to happen in the near and long term
Recommendations for retailers and brands
Sources
Media Gallery

AI shopping assistants are poised to redefine the future of ecommerce. Powered by generative and agentic AI, these tools promise to make digital shopping more intuitive, personalized, and automated. As they plan the next wave of investments, retailers and brands need to understand how these tools might affect consumer habits—and whether they will meaningfully accelerate migration from physical stores to online channels.

Key Question: AI shopping assistants promise to transform the ecommerce experience—but will they move the needle on consumer behavior and channel mix?

Will AI Agents/Assistants Accelerate the Shift Toward Ecommerce?
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Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. AI shopping assistants’ near-term impact will be incremental, not transformative
  3. The AI shopping assistant landscape is evolving fast
  1. The fulfillment gap, in-store preferences, and trust barriers stand in the way of a fundamental channel shift
  2. What we expect to happen in the near and long term
  3. Recommendations for retailers and brands
  1. Sources
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Will AI Agents/Assistants Accelerate the Shift Toward Ecommerce?Who's Building AI Shopping Assistants: The Emerging Landscape
Consumers Are Using GenAI Tools for Research and DiscoveryAI Assistants Are Influencing Purchase Decisions—Particularly Among Gen Zers and Millennials
High Delivery Costs and Long Delivery Times Are Online Shoppers' Biggest FrustrationsConsumers Worldwide Have Emotional and Practical Reasons for Shopping In-Store
Relevance, Privacy, and Trust Are Among the Barriers to Adoption of AI Shopping Assistants

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First Published on Oct 2, 2025

authors

Carina Perkins

Contributors

Suzy Davidkhanian
VP, Content
Vladimir Hanzlik
Executive Editor and SVP, Content
Cindy Liu
Senior Forecasting Analyst
Wendy Malloy
Director, Reports Editor
Naomi Rebuelta
Copy Editor
Amy Rotondo
Director, US Research
Matt Torpey
Senior Chart Editor
Emman Velasco
Chart Editor