Shoppers prefer AI price tools over autonomous buying

Research commissioned by ACI Worldwide found that only 7% of fashion shoppers would let an AI assistant buy on their behalf without approval. Shoppers in the UK and US were more receptive to AI tools that help them find lower prices.

The study, conducted by YouGov among more than 3,300 adults, points to a clear divide in consumer attitudes to AI in retail. Price drop alerts and cross-retailer price comparisons were each selected by 35% of respondents as useful AI features. Interest was lower in product recommendations (18%) and outfit suggestions (17%).

This suggests consumers are more comfortable using AI to support shopping decisions than to make them. A majority (53%) said they were not comfortable letting an AI assistant make purchases under any circumstances. Another 20% said they would accept AI recommendations but not autonomous buying, while 14% would require manual approval for every purchase.

The findings come as retailers and payments groups assess how AI tools could reshape online shopping, especially in sectors such as fashion and sportswear, where buying decisions are often influenced by price, fit, brand and returns policies.

Among those willing to give AI limited authority, the conditions were narrow. Only 7% would permit autonomous purchasing under predefined conditions such as a set budget or approved retailers.

ACI Worldwide linked these attitudes to broader concerns about trust, transparency and control at checkout. The survey also showed that payment reliability remains a basic issue for retailers, regardless of whether a shopper or a software agent initiates the transaction.

Among respondents who had experienced an online payment failure, 39% said they abandoned the purchase and 22% bought from another retailer instead. A further 53% said they tried to complete the transaction using another payment method.

Payment failure appeared to affect some groups more than others. Women were more likely than men to give up on a purchase after a failed payment, with 43% abandoning the transaction compared with 33% of men.

Unexpected costs at the final stage of a purchase also remained a major source of friction. The survey found that 40% of shoppers had abandoned a purchase when an extra fee was added at checkout.

Shopping patterns

Beyond AI, the research offers a broader snapshot of how fashion and sportswear consumers shop across online and physical channels. More than a third, 35%, said they buy online and collect in store, including 41% of women and 28% of men. Another 15% said they had used a retailer app to buy while standing inside the shop.

Retailer apps appear to have established a solid role in the shopping journey. Overall, 34% said they valued them because they made browsing and shopping easier, rising to 41% among women and 44% among sportswear shoppers.

Younger consumers showed distinct payment preferences. Just over half of 18- to 24-year-olds (51%) said they paid online with a digital wallet, compared with 23% of those aged 55 to 65.

The research also highlighted the importance of promotions in shaping purchases. Some 41% of respondents said they make impulse purchases when a sale or promotion appears, rising to 49% among sportswear shoppers. Social media had a stronger effect on younger adults, with 22% of 18- to 24-year-olds saying they had made an impulse purchase based on social media or influencer trends, compared with an overall average of 11%.

Returns pressure

Returns policies emerged as another pressure point for retailers. More than half of respondents (55%) said they would shop elsewhere if returns policies became stricter.

At the same time, shoppers indicated that better product information could reduce avoidable returns. Some 79% agreed that better sizing information, product details or reviews would cut unnecessary returns, while only 4% disagreed.

These findings underline the tension facing fashion retailers as they try to limit the cost of returns without deterring customers who still see flexibility as part of the purchase decision.

Adriana Iordan, Global Head of Merchant Product Management and Payment Intelligence at ACI Worldwide, said the findings showed a clear boundary in how shoppers view AI in commerce.

"Consumers are drawing a clear distinction between AI that helps them make better decisions and AI that makes decisions for them," Iordan said. "Fashion shoppers see real value in AI tools that help them find better prices, but they're not ready to hand over the final purchase decision. For merchants, the challenge is making AI-driven purchases feel as secure and controllable as any other transaction."

Marie Driscoll, President of the Retail Marketing Society, said shoppers were signalling that assistance and autonomy are not the same.

"Shoppers are telling us they want AI to inform the purchase, not make it," Driscoll said. "Price tools succeed because they add insight without removing control. Handing a fashion purchase decision to an agent is a much bigger leap of faith. The requisite trust will be earned when retailers prove that AI can be reliable, transparent and safely constrained, not just convenient."