AI influences 42% of UK in-store spending, survey finds

Research from the MACH Alliance found that artificial intelligence now influences 42% of UK consumers' in-store spending, matching the share of online spending influenced by AI.

Based on a survey of more than 1,000 UK consumers, the study found that AI is shaping purchasing decisions across stores, online channels and social media. It found that 35% of social media buying decisions are influenced by AI, while the share rises among younger shoppers in physical retail, with 62% of Gen Z shoppers saying AI affects their in-store spending.

The figures suggest a shift in how retail decisions are made, with AI tools moving beyond online search and recommendation systems into physical shopping trips. The research also found that 67% of shoppers now use AI for search and discovery when buying online, rising to 92% among Millennials.

According to the survey, more than two-fifths of digital spending is informed by AI search, while 41% of online purchases are guided by AI agents. The data also showed that half of Millennials and Gen Z consumers say AI influences their social media buying decisions.

The research suggests wearable devices are contributing to this shift in physical retail. Among Gen Z shoppers, 18% said they had used AI-enabled wearables such as Meta glasses to inform physical purchasing decisions in the past 12 months, compared with 8% of all shoppers.

The findings come as retailers assess how AI systems interact with customer journeys across multiple channels. The survey indicates that consumers are not limiting AI use to product discovery on websites, but are also bringing those tools into stores as part of their decision-making.

Jason Cottrell, President of the MACH Alliance, commented on the findings.

"As AI becomes an influence layer across the entire customer journey, retailers can no longer view AI interoperability through the lens of eCommerce alone – it must span every touchpoint," said Cottrell.  "And this requires brands to build AI readiness across the whole commerce architecture, with the agility and composability to evolve as quickly as AI advancements move at pace."

"The next challenge is making sure that the ecosystem works when multiple AI agents are involved in a single buying journey. Retailers need systems and data that can connect seamlessly with agents they may not own or control - and the flexibility to adapt as those interactions evolve," he added.

The survey also pointed to a modest rise in the use of multiple AI agents within buying journeys over the next 12 months, with adoption expected to increase from 8% to 10%. That suggests retailers may increasingly have to manage interactions between their own systems and external AI tools used directly by consumers.

The MACH Alliance is a trade body focused on open and composable technology architectures in commerce. Its membership includes more than 100 companies and more than 80 ambassadors spanning technology vendors, systems integrators, hyperscalers and brands.

For retailers, the research adds to evidence that AI is becoming embedded in routine shopping behaviour rather than remaining a separate digital feature. The equal share of in-store and online spending influenced by AI suggests consumer use of the technology is no longer confined to eCommerce, and that physical retail environments are increasingly part of the same AI-shaped buying journey.