New research from PSE Consulting finds that while price is the primary driver of AI-assisted shopping, brand recognition and customer reviews remain the critical trust signals that determine which seller they select.

Price is the single most influential factor in AI-assisted shopping, with almost a third of consumers (32%) citing it as their primary decision driver when choosing between recommendations made by an AI assistant. This is more than double the proportion who say they simply follow the AI’s top recommendation (14%), underlining that consumers are using AI as a price comparison tool rather than delegating purchasing decisions to the algorithm. US consumers are particularly price-driven of any market surveyed, with 37% ranking price as their primary consideration.

The study is based on a survey of 4,250 consumers across the UK, US, France and Germany who use AI for online shopping.

The research found that 43% of consumers report positive experiences of AI-assisted shopping so far, while fewer than 3% report mostly negative experiences. The remainder describe their experience as mixed, suggesting that adoption is already mainstream and accelerating. Consumers are not waiting for the technology to mature before they use it. They are trying it out and coming back for more, in stark contrast with use cases such as voice commerce that have emerged in the recent past. 

What they are waiting for is a brand they recognise. 89% of respondents say recognising the seller’s brand is important or very important when acting on an AI recommendation. 92% say customer reviews matter when deciding between AI-generated options, and 68% say they would consider an AI recommendation for a new or unfamiliar seller/merchant brand, but only after checking reviews and ratings first.

Chris Jones, Managing Director at PSE Consulting, said: “What the research shows clearly is that consumers are using agents to find the best online deals. But once the shortlist is in front of the consumer, the same signals that have always driven purchasing decisions take over: does the consumer recognise the seller’s brand, and what do other customers say about it?”

He added: “AI is enhancing consumer decision-making, not replacing it. Consumers are happy to delegate discovery and shortlisting to an AI assistant. But trust remains critical when it comes to the final purchase. If the brand is not recognised and there are no reviews to validate it, the AI recommendation does not close the sale.”

The research also reveals meaningful differences between markets. UK consumers are the most seller brand-reliant of all four markets, with 15% citing brand recognition as their primary decision factor, compared to just 8% in the US, France and Germany. UK consumers also show the strongest attachment to existing loyalty ecosystems, with 36% saying the loss of loyalty points would make them less likely to continue using AI shopping tools, significantly higher than Germany at just 14%.

France emerged as the most AI-trusting European market surveyed. French consumers recorded the highest proportion of mostly positive AI shopping experiences at 53%, while decision-making factors were more evenly spread between price (27%), ratings (22%) and simply following the AI assistant’s top recommendation (21%), the most even distribution of any market.

This research is part of a broader study into the commercial and structural implications of agentic commerce across four major Western ecommerce markets that PSE Consulting has carried out. A full report is forthcoming in July and webinar on this exciting topic will be held on 28th July. Please use the form below to let us know if you’ll be interested in receiving the full report or joining the webinar.

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.