Half of shoppers who’ve tried GenAI on retail sites say it’s always or often helpful; 1 in 5 would even trust AI over their partner to pick out a gift — report also highlights rise in social media for product discovery, sharp generational divides, and opportunities to improve ecommerce search
SAN FRANCISCO and CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AI isn’t just for writing emails or generating memes anymore: It’s picking out gifts, clothes and other products for online shoppers. And for many, that’s just fine. According to a report from Constructor and Shopify, nearly half of shoppers (45%) don’t care whether a product was recommended to them by a human or by AI — as long as it’s the right fit.
These findings come from the third annual State of Ecommerce report, a comprehensive look at how shoppers buy online in 2025. Based on an online survey of more than 1,500 consumers in the U.S., U.K., and Germany, conducted in August 2025, the report explores how shoppers discover products and decide what to buy — along with what drives them to complete or abandon a purchase. Respondents spanned age groups and income levels.
“AI has quickly become a natural part of everyday shopping. That creates both opportunities and urgency for retailers,” said Constructor CEO Eli Finkelshteyn. “As shoppers grow more comfortable and willing to engage with AI, it’s on retailers to earn their trust — by delivering experiences that aren’t just flashy. They need to be genuinely helpful, engaging and valuable.”
AI in ecommerce: From hype to habit
This year’s data reflects the pervasiveness of AI tools, along with shoppers’ increasing comfort levels:
- Everyday adoption — Nearly two-thirds of shoppers (64%) have used generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT in their daily lives — up from 51% last year and 29% in 2023.
- Extending into shopping — Almost 6 in 10 shoppers (58%) now say they would be very or somewhat comfortable using GenAI and other conversational AI tools on a retail website — up from 52% in 2024 and 42% in 2023.
This comfort extends across the shopper journey, with AI helping spark inspiration and resolve purchase uncertainty.
AI agents step in
When they arrive at a retail website, nearly 8 in 10 shoppers (77%) say they often or sometimes are unsure what to buy — they may be choosing a gift, exploring a new hobby, or putting together an outfit for an upcoming event. In these moments, 60% say they’d definitely or probably be willing to let an AI shopping assistant guide them — with younger shoppers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, most eager to try.
This shift is already underway:
- Already in use — Almost 4 in 10 shoppers (38%) have tried agentic shopping tools like Amazon’s Rufus or Walmart’s Sparky.
- Positive first impressions — Among those who’ve used GenAI or AI agent features on ecommerce sites, half (50%) say the experiences are always or often helpful, with 86% noting they’re helpful at least some of the time.
Trusting AI with taste
As shoppers grow more familiar with AI tools, they’re also starting to hand AI a bigger challenge: knowing their tastes.
- Algorithms over influencers — More than a quarter of shoppers (26%) say an algorithm that’s seen their browsing and purchase history is likely to get their taste right — higher than the share who trust an influencer (18%), though still behind a close friend (46%).
- Partners vs. programs — Nearly 1 in 5 shoppers (19%) trust an AI agent more than their partner to pick out a gift for them. Almost half think their partner would do a better job (the rest selected “not sure” or “neither”).
- A generational split — Younger shoppers put more trust in AI: A quarter (25%) of Gen Zs (ages 18-29 in this study) think AI would pick out a better gift than their partner, compared to just 7% of Boomers (over 60 years old).
And — sorry, Mom! — shoppers as a whole give AI a slight edge when it comes to picking out an outfit for them.
Product discovery differs by generation
Shoppers may all be searching for products, but where and how they start often depends on age.
- TikTok as a launchpad — 25% of shoppers say they usually begin searches here, including 46% of Gen Z and 31% of millennials (ages 30-44). This falls sharply with older cohorts: dropping to 18% for Gen X (ages 45-60) and 6% for Boomers.
- Google leads the way — 84% of all shoppers typically begin their searches with Google.
- Amazon holds strong — 63% of shoppers often begin their journey on Amazon, with notable regional differences (75% U.S., 63% Germany, 53% U.K.).
- Retail sites trail behind — 23% of shoppers say they often begin searches directly on a retailer’s website. This highlights the need for retailers to create compelling experiences that both draw shoppers in and keep them there.
- LLMs join the mix — 13% of shoppers frequently use large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT to start a search, with strongest uptake among millennials (18%) and Gen Z (16%).
Beyond initial searches, social platforms also play a large role in discovery and purchase — with clear generational splits:
- TikTok often drives discovery and purchases for 58% of Gen Z and 42% of millennials.
- Instagram wins over Gen Z (54%) and millennial shoppers (51%) too.
- Facebook remains a go-to for millennials (48%) and Gen X (38%).
- Forgoing social shopping — Boomers stand apart; 61% say they don’t use social platforms for discovery and purchase at all.
“Commerce has never been more dynamic — customers jump between channels, discover products everywhere, and expect experiences that just work,” said Dale Traxler, Director of Technology Partnerships, Shopify. “What merchants need now is the power to be wherever their customers are, with experiences that feel seamless and authentic at every touchpoint.”
Generational differences also extend to how consumers shop:
- Apps vs. websites: Overall, 34% of shoppers prefer retailer apps — but that’s 50% among Gen Z, compared to just 18% of Boomers. Websites remain the preference for 43% overall, including 57% of Boomers.
- Mobile vs. desktop: Mobile dominates for younger cohorts, with a majority of Gen Z spending at least half their shopping time on mobile devices. By contrast, desktop browsing still plays a stronger role for older shoppers.
Search still falls short
Shoppers weighed in on their search experiences on retail websites, excluding Amazon. The bottom line: 68% think search needs an upgrade — unchanged from last year and highest in the U.S. (76% vs. 66% in Germany and 61% in the UK).
Here are some of the biggest search pain points:
- Try, try again — 42% of shoppers say they always or frequently have to reformulate their queries to make the search engine “get it.” Nearly 9 in 10 (86%) do this at least sometimes.
- Stranger danger — Even on their favorite retail website, more than 4 in 10 shoppers (41%) say they’re treated like total strangers — getting served generic and irrelevant recommendations, despite their browsing and purchase history.
- Not quite there — Half of shoppers (50%) say search results are technically relevant to their queries (e.g., showing shirts for a “shirts” search), but not the kind of items they’d actually want to buy — underscoring the gap between technical relevance vs. true attractiveness.
- It’s a jungle out there — Almost half of shoppers (48%) say it takes at least 3 minutes to wade through pages of search results to find what they need… not counting those who don’t find it at all. For nearly a quarter (23%), it takes over 8 minutes.
Shoppers rank their online search frustrations above many real-world annoyances. They report that scrolling endlessly through irrelevant results is a bigger pain than:
- Waiting in line at the DMV — 53%
- Sitting in traffic with no AC — 43%
- Having their phone die when they need directions — 40%
- A bad blind date — 48%
- Running into someone from high school… while wearing pajamas — 50%
The retailer cost of bad search
Shopper frustration doesn’t just kill the mood — it kills sales:
- Quick exits — 47% of shoppers often leave a retailer’s site immediately when search and discovery experiences disappoint them — with U.S. shoppers the least patient (60% vs. 41% in both the U.K. and Germany).
- Lost sales — 44% say they’ll take their business to a different retailer when search fails.
- Straight to Amazon — Two-thirds (66%) admit they’ve rage-quit a site and gone to Amazon instead.
The upside of getting it right
Better search doesn’t just remove friction — it creates value for shoppers and retailers alike:
- Worth paying for — More than half of shoppers (55%) say they’d definitely or maybe pay 5-10% more for an item if they didn’t have to scroll through pages (and pages) to find it.
- Loyalty boost — 55% would shop more at a retailer if guaranteed an excellent online experience.
- Review-ready — 42% say a great search and product discovery experience would prompt them to recommend the retailer and leave a positive review.
Shoppers point to personalization, better filtering, smarter use of AI, and tighter integration between online and in-store experiences as improvements that would make their journeys better and smoother.
Retail media: A work in progress
Spending on retail media — such as ads in search results, product recommendations and other areas on retail sites — is surging, becoming an important revenue stream for retailers and their advertising partners. Even though nearly 1 in 3 shoppers (32%) have clicked on and purchased from a sponsored listing, shopper sentiment shows these ads have a long way to go:
- Trust is lacking — Nearly half (47%) of shoppers say they’re more skeptical of sponsored products than organic ones.
- Often seen as a nuisance — More than a quarter of shoppers (27%) say these ads are annoying — often because they push better results too far down the page (35%), feel less relevant (34%) and clutter the shopping experience (33%). Only 6% of shoppers say they actually like sponsored listings.
- Frustration runs deep — One in four (25%) say it would be worth it to pay for an ad-free shopping experience: a sign that many see sponsored placements as a source of friction, not value.
“Shoppers are clear: Sponsored placements have to add value, not distraction,” said Jason Zollan, Head of Retail Media, Constructor. “When ads are meaningful and held to the same high relevancy standards as organic results, they can guide discovery in ways that benefit everyone. The result is a win-win-win: Shoppers find what they need more easily, advertisers see stronger returns, and retailers grow revenue without sacrificing trust.”
Further insights
For more details and data from Constructor and Shopify’s State of Ecommerce report, please see https://info.constructor.com/state-of-ecommerce-2025.
About Constructor
Constructor is the only search and product discovery platform tailor-made for enterprise ecommerce where conversions matter. Constructor’s AI-first solutions make it easier for shoppers to discover products they want to buy and for ecommerce teams to deliver personalized experiences in real time that drive impressive results. Optimizing specifically for ecommerce metrics like revenue, conversion rate and profit, Constructor generates consistent $10M+ lifts for some of the biggest brands in ecommerce, such as Sephora, Petco, The Very Group, home24, Grove Collaborative and Fisheries Supply. Constructor is a U.S.-based company that was founded in 2015 by Eli Finkelshteyn and Dan McCormick. For more, visit: constructor.com
SOURCE Constructor