New research suggests 42% of consumers trust AI-generated product summaries without clicking through to the original website, reshaping how brands are discovered and evaluated online. The findings, from a global survey by Optimizely that sampled over 1,300 consumers and 1,000 marketing leaders, highlight the changing dynamics in digital shopping ahead of this year's Black Friday period.
AI as shopping gateway
AI platforms are becoming integral to the initial stages of online shopping. According to the survey, over half (52%) of consumers frequently use AI to research products, with 14% now beginning their shopping journey on platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini rather than traditional search engines. This demonstrates a growing shift away from search engines, which still account for 66% of initial product research, towards AI-driven gateways.
Generational differences
The uptake of AI in retail research is more pronounced among younger shoppers. Those aged 18 to 44 are three to four times more likely to use AI daily when researching products compared to those aged 55 and over. This signals a generational shift that could accelerate the trend towards what some marketers are calling a "click-less" customer journey, where consumers make purchasing decisions directly from AI-produced summaries.
Criteria for trust
The report found that 31% of consumers are more likely to trust an AI-generated product summary if it is associated with a brand they recognise. Another 31% look for a combination of brand and product information, while 22% prioritise clear and accurate product details. This points to a more nuanced landscape for brands, where reputation and the accuracy of information remain critical in AI-facilitated product discovery.
Brand readiness
Brands face increasing pressure to manage their presence in AI-generated content. Optimizely's data from Black Friday 2024 showed a 65% surge in website traffic compared to typical shopping periods. Performance reliability also becomes critical, with Optimizely reporting 99.98% website uptime and an average response time improvement of 13.7 milliseconds under peak demand. During this period, companies deployed 1,538 personalised campaigns and conducted over 7,400 A/B tests, with nearly 6% yielding significant positive results.
Preparation gap
Despite the growing prominence of AI in shopping journeys, there is a notable gap in preparedness among marketers. Just 10% of marketing leaders are currently using AI for personalisation, and only 27% say they feel fully prepared for consumers who discover their brand via AI referrals. While 45% have implemented Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) strategies-a new approach for ensuring accurate brand representation in AI-generated summaries-the sense of readiness remains low.
Holiday competition
The transition to AI as the entry point for product discovery places further importance on GEO. The stakes are high for the upcoming holiday season, as brands contend with consumers who may never visit their websites, relying instead on information surfaced by AI platforms. This changes the competitive landscape, impacting not just search visibility but also how accurately and favourably brands are represented in AI responses.
"AI isn't just changing how people shop, it's rewriting the rules of how brands are found. The moment a shopper decides to learn more, they expect instant clarity, trust, and speed. If you're not visible or ready in that moment, someone else is," said Tara Corey, SVP of Marketing, Optimizely.
