How Gen Z and millennials are bringing AI into holiday shopping

Younger shoppers want AI’s advice when it comes to holiday shopping, but not its finger on the buy button.

Deloitte’s 2026 Holiday Retail Survey finds that 49 percent of Gen Z and 50 percent of millennials name generative AI as their primary tool for at least one holiday-shopping task, giving retailers another reason to pay attention to how their products appear in AI recommendations.

Those younger consumers also represent an increasingly important source of seasonal spending. Gen Z and millennials account for half of expected holiday expenditure for the first time in Deloitte’s survey. Their embrace of AI outpaces that of older generations: 35 percent of Gen X and 23 percent of baby boomers identify it as their primary tool for at least one shopping task.

But adoption does not mean unconditional trust. Across Deloitte’s respondents, only 16 percent would allow generative AI to complete a purchase with their permission. Its immediate influence lies less in taking over checkout than in helping consumers navigate the decisions that precede it.

AI enters the gift search

Deloitte’s research covers tasks ranging from budgeting and gift inspiration to deal discovery, price comparisons, product reviews and finding alternatives or dupes. The findings position AI as another resource in the shopping journey.

Adobe’s holiday forecast suggests that influence is translating into more visits to retailers. The company expects traffic from AI-powered chat and browser services to U.S. retail sites to increase 130 percent year over year during November and December. It measures those referrals through shoppers clicking on links, not purchases completed by AI.

The sharpest increase is forecast for Thanksgiving, when AI referrals are expected to rise 159 percent, followed by Black Friday at 95 percent and Cyber Monday at 88 percent. Those projections suggest AI-assisted discovery will feature prominently during the season’s biggest promotional moments, although referral growth alone does not establish its contribution to sales.

Adobe forecasts 275.1 billion dollars in U.S. online holiday spending, up 6.7 percent. Across core retail, the National Retail Federation expects November and December sales to reach 1.013 trillion dollars, an increase of 4.2 percent. Neither forecast establishes AI as the cause of that growth.

AI’s appeal also intersects with consumers’ focus on affordability. NRF warns that inflation, rising gas prices and pressure on household spending will affect income groups differently, even as shoppers continue to prioritize the holidays.

Deloitte finds that 79 percent of respondents expect higher holiday prices. Its “holiday value seekers,” defined by adopting at least five specified money-saving behaviors, are more likely to use generative AI than other shoppers: 45 percent versus 35 percent.

Among consumers already using AI for online shopping, the response is encouraging. Adobe’s July survey finds that 77 percent report greater confidence in their purchases, while 69 percent say they are less likely to return an item they bought.

Deloitte’s broader sample reveals more hesitation: only 31 percent trust generative AI to compare products and prices accurately, while 66 percent worry about how assistants use their data.

Adobe’s figures describe existing AI shoppers, while Deloitte captures attitudes across its shopper sample.

For retailers, trust matters as much as visibility. Deloitte finds that 29 percent of shoppers would try an unfamiliar retailer based on an AI recommendation, suggesting discovery could extend beyond established shopping habits. Accurate information, clear pricing and a reassuring purchase experience remain essential to turning AI-assisted interest into an actual holiday order.