Nearly half of UK adults surveyed (49%)* now use AI tools regularly, and almost a quarter (22%) plan to use them for Black Friday and Christmas shopping. Among 18-34-year-olds, 42% intend to use AI, illustrating strong uptake among younger, urban, and more affluent consumers.

Significantly, 85% of those planning to use AI for shopping this festive season would trust it to place orders and execute payments on their behalf. This marks a significant shift in consumer behaviour, demonstrating how agentic AI is moving beyond recommendations to handle full transactional flows.

Analysts predict that by the end of the decade, AI-powered shopping could reshape global retail which has prompted the payments consultancy to commission this research. In the US alone, automated “agentic” shopping tools may influence up to $1 trillion in online spending by 2030, with worldwide estimates running into several trillion dollars. The shift signals how quickly AI could become a routine part of how people find, compare, and buy everyday products.**

The research follows the launch of OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol in partnership with fintech giant Stripe earlier this year. While the service is expected to reach Europe in 6–9 months due to issues with Strong Customer Authentication, the findings demonstrate strong latent demand for agentic AI-powered commerce.

Despite the rapid adoption, UK consumers remain cautious. Privacy, fraud, and accuracy concerns are significant barriers, with 49% worried about data handling, 46% about fraud, and 41% fearing AI might select the wrong item. Only 9% report no concerns, indicating that trust and transparency remain critical for widespread adoption.

PSE Consulting’s research also identifies an emerging “AI shopping confidence divide.” Early UK adopters – typically 18-34, affluent, and urban use AI daily or several times a week. They are almost twice as likely as the general population to plan AI-assisted holiday shopping, though they remain cautious about practical issues such as returns, incorrect items, and opaque checkout flows. At the other end, UK traditionalists, typically 55+, with lower digital exposure, remain hesitant. Over half never use AI tools, and 80% will not rely on them for festive shopping.