UK set for AI's first Christmas shopping season as shoppers embrace smart assistants

The United Kingdom is poised to experience its inaugural truly AI-powered Christmas shopping season, marking a significant shift in the e-commerce landscape. New research from Riskified, a leading e-commerce fraud prevention and risk intelligence provider, indicates that a substantial 45% of UK consumers anticipate using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with their holiday purchases this year. This forecast suggests that merchants must take proactive note of this evolving trend well ahead of the crucial peak shopping period.

The research further highlights a growing comfort with advanced AI functionalities among UK shoppers. A notable 58% of respondents expressed openness to the idea of AI autonomously completing purchases on their behalf, a figure that underscores increasing confidence in and adoption of "agentic AI" tools. While approximately 60% of UK shoppers have already engaged with AI tools for their shopping needs, nearly 40% have yet to explore this technology, suggesting that AI adoption in the UK might still lag behind more AI-forward markets globally.

Consumers in the UK primarily perceive AI as most beneficial in "convenience-driven, low-stakes scenarios." For instance, half of those surveyed would leverage AI to check the status of their orders, and a third would use it to facilitate returns. Beyond mere convenience, AI is also becoming a valuable asset for inspiration and decision-making; 37% of shoppers use it to generate product ideas, 28% for comprehensive product reviews, and 27% for crucial price comparisons, empowering more informed purchasing decisions.

When it comes to the practical utility of AI shopping assistants, the findings are largely positive. A majority of 52% of those who have engaged with these tools reported that AI either fully resolved their issue or provided substantial partial assistance before human intervention was needed. Crucially, only a small fraction, 16%, experienced failures that were so frustrating they abandoned the task entirely, suggesting a generally effective user experience.

Despite the growing adoption, UK shoppers harbor significant concerns regarding AI in retail. Payment security tops the list of worries at 30%, followed by a fear of losing control over the shopping process (24%), and apprehension about potential AI mistakes (21%). These concerns are mirrored in consumer trust levels; when asked who they trust most, 41% preferred in-store associates, 33% opted for traditional online shopping without AI, and only 25% placed their trust in AI shopping assistants.

Aviram Ganor, General Manager, EMEA and APAC for Riskified, commented on these trends: “We’re seeing that both globally and specifically in the UK, shoppers are already interacting with AI and intend to embrace it fully in the near future. Agentic AI is making online shopping more convenient and personalised. But merchants must also be mindful of increased fraud risks. Only by leveraging cutting-edge technology, will retailers be able to continue to provide seamless customer experiences, while safeguarding their businesses.” This highlights the dual challenge for retailers: harnessing AI's benefits while simultaneously bolstering their fraud prevention capabilities.