Singapore – Businesses are racing to embed artificial intelligence into the shopping journey, but consumers are not moving at the same pace, according to a VML report. The global study points to a widening gap between industry ambition around AI and the more cautious, pragmatic behaviour of everyday shoppers.
Despite the surge in enterprise AI adoption, the research shows that purchasing decisions still hinge on long-standing fundamentals: value, product availability, trust, and a seamless customer experience. Consumers, the report suggests, are willing to use AI as a tool but remain reluctant to let it replace their own judgement, particularly amid ongoing economic pressure.
The scale of AI usage is notable. According to the report, 82% of consumers have used AI in some form, yet that adoption remains concentrated on everyday tasks rather than autonomous purchasing decisions.
Scepticism runs alongside that usage. The study found that 58% of consumers cross-check AI-generated product recommendations before buying, while 49% say AI-generated product imagery reduces their trust in a brand.
Content transparency also weighs on consumer behaviour, with 48% saying they skip content they believe was created using AI. Commercial motives add to the unease, as 53% worry that AI shopping tools are commercially influenced, and 55% believe sponsored search results make it harder to find the best products.
When it comes to full autonomy, resistance is clear. A third of consumers, 33%, say they would not allow AI to make purchases on their behalf, underscoring a persistent trust gap between AI capability and consumer comfort.
Regional dynamics, however, tell a different story. “The race for APAC brands isn’t about driving AI adoption anymore. While global shoppers show caution, APAC consumers are now going into autonomous commerce. In digital advanced markets like China and India, the appetite for AI-driven shopping is incredibly high, so the challenge is on building the trusted, frictionless infrastructure to support new evolving shopper behaviours,” said Nick Pan, Chief Strategy Officer, VML APAC.
Beyond AI attitudes, the report identifies economic pressure as a defining force reshaping consumer priorities. Close to six in ten consumers report greater financial anxiety than ever before, a shift that has prompted many to cut discretionary spending and place less emphasis on sustainability.
Even so, shoppers continue to protect what the report calls “sacred luxuries,” including clothing, coffee, and beauty products, even as they cut back elsewhere.
Search remains central to the shopping journey, even as trust in it erodes. Search engines have reclaimed their position as the top source of product inspiration and discovery, according to the report, despite growing consumer scepticism toward the platforms themselves.
That scepticism is measurable: 44% of consumers say search quality has declined over the past year, 55% believe sponsored results make it harder to find the best products, and 47% feel their favourite online platforms have worsened over time.
Attitudes toward personal data are shifting as well. Four in ten consumers say they would exchange deeply personal information, including real-time location, shopping habits, and health metrics, in return for monthly income, a finding the report frames as a significant change in attitudes toward privacy and value exchange.
Customer experience has meanwhile become a clear brand differentiator, as online and offline shopping approach parity. The report notes that 51% of consumer spending now takes place online, with price, product availability, and frictionless experience ranking above all else regardless of channel.
Expectations are firm on this front. Nearly half of consumers, 48%, say they will not shop with brands that fail to meet basic digital expectations, while 41% regularly abandon purchases due to frustrating online shopping experiences.
Influence patterns are also shifting. Family and friends remain the most trusted source of purchasing advice, the report finds, while traditional creators are losing sway, with their influence falling from 15% to 13% year over year.
AI tools, meanwhile, are emerging as a new source of recommendations, though one that consumers continue to approach with caution.
Reflecting on a decade of research, Neil Dawson, Global Chief Strategy Officer of VML, said, “A decade of Future Shopper research tells us that commerce never stands still, but the foundations of great brands remain remarkably consistent.”
“Today’s consumers are more informed, more demanding, and more discerning than ever. The winners of the next era of commerce won’t simply be the brands with the best technology and data — they’ll be the ones that earn and sustain consumer confidence,” Dawson continued.
Now in its tenth year, Future Shopper has tracked the evolution of consumer behaviour across a decade of change, from the rise of mobile shopping and marketplaces to social commerce and, most recently, AI-powered discovery.
