AI-active UK shoppers buy products AI recommends, but most complete the purchase elsewhere

95% of shoppers have bought an AI-recommended product, yet three in five finished their purchase through a separate search, a brand or retailer site, or a physical store

Half of AI-active UK consumers began their last product search with an AI-generated response (50%), compared with 28% who started with traditional search results, according to new research from impact.com. About a third began on a standalone AI platform, while roughly one in six entered an AI Overview within a search engine.

impact.com, the global infrastructure for partnership-driven commerce, surveyed 967 AI-active UK consumers in May 2026. The findings show how AI can shape the products people consider before they reach a brand or retailer website.

AI’s role can be hard to trace

Over the past 30 days, 70% of AI-active consumers said an AI tool had played a role in their online shopping decisions at least sometimes. And 72% said they sometimes, usually or always click through from an AI tool to a brand or retailer website before making a final decision.

A further 4% said they never use the AI’s embedded link, instead starting a new search manually on a brand or retailer website. In those cases, AI’s earlier influence may be harder for brands to attribute.

Asked why they start a product search with AI, 57% cited getting a direct answer instead of a list of links, while 47% said it better understands their specific needs.

What shoppers would let AI buy

Asked how a personalised AI shopping agent would fit into their habits, 41% of respondents said they would use it as a secondary research tool before checking the options themselves. Another 27% said it would replace most of their current search methods.

Willingness to let AI complete a purchase depends on the product. Some 64% would trust AI to choose and buy an item without their approval in at least one of the categories listed, while 36% would not allow it to do so in any. Groceries and household products attracted the most trust (22% of all respondents), followed by electronics and technology (17%).

Age made a difference too. Half of Baby Boomers (50%) and 49% of Gen X would not trust AI to buy in any listed category without their approval, compared with 28% of Gen Z and 31% of Millennials.

“People may reach a brand’s website with a shortlist already shaped by AI,” said Anthony Clements, impact.com UK and DACH Country Manager. “If they find the site through a separate search, that earlier influence is easy to miss. Brands need to know where shoppers are getting recommendations and how those recommendations affect what they buy.”

Source: impact.com

  AdTech, AI, impact.com, Research, UK