Nearly half of shoppers now research through AI assistants rather than search
45%
research through AI assistants
StatPaid Media
45% of shoppers now research through AI assistants rather than a search engine, which turns search into a transactional step taken after the decision has already been made.
Source
Meta, Top Trends 2026 - Marketing trends to help you win in 2026 (2026)
Meta
Meta, Top Trends 2026, Trend 2 (Late tax), s. 6; IBM + National Retail Federation, 2026 consumer research study
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