51% of U.S. consumers report using at least one AI tool for shopping in the past month, marking a tipping point in purchase behavior
CHICAGO (September 24, 2026) — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today announced new findings from its Agentic Commerce Tracker showing that 51% of U.S. consumers have used at least one AI-powered tool to support their shopping in the past month. The results mark a significant milestone in how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products, and offer an early signal of how the data-driven economy is being reshaped by AI.
The findings arrive as brands and retailers face mounting pressure to adapt to a rapidly shifting path to purchase. As AI tools take on a growing role in product discovery and decision-making, product content quality, digital discoverability, and structured product information are becoming as critical to sales performance as traditional merchandising and search visibility.
KEY FINDINGS FROM NIQ AGENTIC COMMERCE TRACKER
- 51% of U.S. consumers report using at least one AI-powered tool to support shopping in the past month. This marks the first time adoption has crossed the halfway mark.
- Adoption has grown steadily over the past two quarters, signaling a shift from early-adopter behavior to mainstream use.
- AI-powered product recommendations are the most widely used application, at 20% adoption.
- AI-powered personal shopping assistants follow at 16% adoption, reflecting growing demand for personalized guidance and decision support.
- Adoption spans the full path to purchase, from product discovery through final purchase decisions, rather than a single touchpoint.
“Crossing the 50 percent threshold is a defining moment for the industry,” said Liz Buchanan, President of North America, NIQ. “Just months ago, AI-assisted shopping was viewed as an emerging behavior among early adopters. Today, it is now mainstream. With a majority of consumers now using AI to help them shop, the U.S. has reached a tipping point where AI is shaping how products are discovered, evaluated, and ultimately purchased.”
The findings build on NIQ’s recent announcement that it will begin measuring agentic commerce as a distinct channel within its broader retail measurement suite, reflecting the company’s commitment to quantifying AI’s growing influence on the path to purchase. As adoption accelerates, NIQ is expanding its measurement capabilities to give brands and retailers visibility into how AI tools are reshaping category performance, brand discovery, and purchase conversion—insights that have historically been difficult to isolate from traditional retail and search channels.
“The brands and retailers that succeed in this next era of commerce will be those that optimize not only for consumers, but also for the AI systems helping consumers navigate their choices,” Buchanan added. “The path to purchase is rapidly evolving from search-driven to AI-driven, and that change is happening faster than many organizations realize.”
FAQs
What does NIQ’s latest research show about the role of AI in shopping today?
The newly released research shows that AI is influencing how consumers compare options, evaluate value, and narrow choices during the shopping journey. 51% of U.S. consumers report using at least one AI-powered tool to support shopping in the past month. This marks the first time adoption has crossed the halfway mark.
How is AI changing the consumer decision journey, according to the research?
Rather than replacing shopping, AI is compressing decision-making. Respondents reported using AI to compare options, evaluate value, and narrow choices during the shopping journey.
How can brands and retailers stay informed on NIQ’s agentic commerce research?
NIQ will continue to share updated research findings on an ongoing basis. Data cited in this release comes from NIQ’s proprietary agentic commerce tracker, which is a monthly series being conducted in the United States focused on agentic commerce and adoption among U.S. consumers.
About the NIQ Agentic Commerce Tracker
The NIQ Agentic Commerce Tracker is a monthly study designed to measure consumer adoption of AI-powered shopping tools and understand how artificial intelligence is reshaping the path to purchase. The tracker monitors usage trends, consumer attitudes, and emerging behaviors across the U.S. and Canada markets, to help brands and retailers prepare for the next generation of commerce.
Methodology
NIQ’s findings are based on its ongoing Quick Question research, with a monthly sample of approximately 500 consumers across the United States in 2026.
About NIQ
NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.
With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding anticipated consumer adoption and use of AI-powered shopping tools, expected market and industry developments relating to AI-assisted and agentic commerce, NIQ’s plans to continue conducting and sharing research, and the development, capabilities, availability and anticipated benefits of NIQ’s agentic commerce measurement offerings. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “continue,” “develop,” “expand,” “future,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should” and similar references to future events or performance.
These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are not guarantees of future results. They are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside NIQ’s control, including changes in consumer behavior and preferences; the pace, nature and extent of AI adoption; technological developments; the availability, quality and reliability of data; economic and competitive conditions; and NIQ’s ability to develop, launch, deliver and commercialize new products, services and measurement capabilities. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements.
Additional information regarding these and other risks is included in the “Risk Factors” section of NIQ’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and NIQ undertakes no obligation to update them except as required by applicable law.
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