By IBM Newsroom
Publication Date: 2026-01-07 12:00:00
The following article was written by Dee Waddell, Global Head of Consumer, Travel & Transportation Industries, IBM Consulting.
January 7, 2026
ARMONK, NY, January 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Generative AI is redesigning the first steps of our shopping experience before we ever click “buy.” From hyper-personalized suggestions to curated inspiration, influence now begins long before a store visit or app tap, taking competition between brands and retailers to a whole new level.
A new global study* from the IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value in collaboration with the National Retail Federation (NRF) found that while nearly three-quarters of consumers surveyed (72%) still shop in stores, nearly half (45%) are turning to AI for help with their purchase. Shoppers still want to see and touch products, but today’s savvy consumers increasingly come with a sense of what they’re looking for and why. They use AI to research products (41%), interpret…
