New research from PSE Consulting reveals consumers want independent AI agents to drive product discovery and comparison while continuing to rely on marketplaces to execute transactions and provide payment, fulfilment and post-purchase support

Consumers favour universal AI shopping assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude over AI tools embedded within merchant platforms for product discovery but prefer recognised marketplace brands to complete transactions, according to new research from payments consultancy PSE Consulting.

The study of 4,250 consumers across the UK, US, France and Germany who use AI for online shopping found that 74% prefer an independent AI assistant, either a universal tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini that works across multiple platforms and providers (41%), or a specialist AI assistant focused on a specific category such as travel, finance or healthcare (33%).

By contrast, just 10% say they want their AI shopping assistant embedded directly within a retail, travel or delivery platform. This preference for independence reflects how consumers are using AI in the shopping journey. PSE Consulting’s research also found that price is the single biggest driver of AI-assisted shopping, with consumers primarily using AI to compare offers across multiple merchants rather than relying on a single retailer or platform. Independent AI assistants are well suited to this role, enabling consumers to search and compare products and prices across multiple sellers and providers instead of being limited to the commercial ecosystem of one platform. This suggests that platform-embedded AI may be better positioned further down the purchase funnel, helping consumers refine choices, evaluate options, personalise recommendations and complete transactions once they have narrowed their shortlist. 

Consumers do not expect AI assistants to reduce the role of marketplaces in online commerce. Around nine in ten consumers (90%) expect their use of retail marketplaces and travel platforms to stay the same or increase as AI adoption grows, while 88% say the same for food delivery platforms. Just one in ten expect to reduce their use of retail and travel marketplaces, rising only slightly up 12% for food delivery.

The findings suggest that while independent AI assistants may increasingly shape product discovery, they are unlikely to displace established platforms as the preferred execution layer. Consumers appear to value AI for searching and comparing products across the market, but continue to rely on trusted marketplaces to complete transactions, manage fulfilment and provide post-purchase support. 

Chris Jones, Managing Director at PSE Consulting, said the research challenges assumptions that agentic AI will disintermediate the role of marketplaces: “There has been a narrative that agentic AI would make marketplaces less relevant by allowing consumers to curate the internet in their terms, rather than relying on marketplaces. What the research suggests instead is that consumers increasingly see discovery and execution as distinct stages of the shopping journey. Consumers increasingly want AI to help them navigate choice across the internet, but they still rely on established brands such as marketplaces when it comes to fulfilment, payments, logistics, customer service and operational trust.”

He added: “The implication for merchants and platforms is significant. The competitive battleground is moving upstream into the AI discovery layer. Success will depend on whether products and services are surfaced by AI assistants before consumers ever enter a marketplace environment.”

The research also suggests that platform-embedded AI will complement rather than compete with independent AI agents. While consumers increasingly favour independent assistants for product discovery and comparison across multiple ecosystems, marketplace AI can add value further down the purchasing journey by supporting product evaluation, personalisation and transaction completion. Rather than representing a fundamental shift in online commerce, the findings suggest an evolution of the existing relationship between search and marketplaces: independent AI agents increasingly become the discovery layer, while marketplaces remain the trusted destination for transaction execution, fulfilment and post-purchase service. 

PSE Consulting’s research is part of a broader study into the commercial and structural implications of agentic commerce across four major Western ecommerce markets with the company hosting a webinar on 28 July to explore the findings in more detail.

*Source: This online survey of 4,250 Adults in UK, France, Germany and US who use AI for online shopping was commissioned by SkyParlour on behalf of PSE Consulting and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct. Data was collected between 05/03/2026 and 18/03/2026. All participants are double-opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.