AI shopping assistants gain traction, but early missteps risk losing customers

AI is fast becoming part of the online shopping journey, but fashion retailers face a narrow margin for error. According to a new survey of 2,000 consumers in the US and UK, 66 percent of shoppers have already tried, or are open to using, an AI assistant such as ChatGPT or a retailer’s own tool when shopping online. Yet the same research suggests that relevance remains a critical challenge: 69 percent of early users said they abandoned an AI shopping assistant immediately after being shown irrelevant product suggestions.

Patience appears limited. Only 28 percent of shoppers were willing to rephrase their query and continue interacting with the AI until it delivered a useful result, highlighting how a weak first product discovery experience can quickly derail adoption.

Expectations, however, are rising. The survey found that 72 percent of consumers now expect AI shopping assistants to play a role in online shopping, particularly in fashion. Respondents pointed to use cases such as suggesting complete-the-look bundles (40 percent), answering styling questions like “what goes with this?” (41 percent), and even building full shopping carts for occasions such as holidays, back-to-school or gifting.

While global platforms including ChatGPT and Google have been early movers in agentic AI shopping features, retailers are not locked out. Nearly half of consumers (48 percent) said they would be open to using an AI shopping assistant offered by their favourite retailer. Among early adopters, confidence in AI appears to unlock more complex use cases: 81 percent would consider using AI to build full carts for specific occasions, while 88 percent would welcome recommendations for bundles or complementary products.

Notably, consumers see AI’s biggest value earlier in the shopping journey rather than at checkout. One-third (33 percent) of early adopters believe AI can have the greatest impact by improving decision-making, such as comparing or choosing products, while 25 percent point to product discovery. By contrast, fewer see checkout optimisation (20 percent) or post-purchase service (17 percent) as AI’s most valuable applications.

The survey was commissioned by Nosto, underscoring a key takeaway for fashion retailers: AI may be expected, but its success will depend less on novelty and more on how accurately it helps shoppers find the right products, fast.