More than a third of shoppers have used AI to help buy groceries in the past six months, with most using it to compare prices, according to new research by global commerce operations platform Rithum.
In an increasingly value-driven retail environment, shoppers are using AI tools and LLMs to ensure they’re getting value for money with their grocery shopping, with two-thirds (66%) saying they use these tools to compare prices or weigh up different options before buying.
Nearly half (47%) use AI to research product information, while more than a quarter (28%) have already used AI tools to complete a grocery purchase.
Shift in consumer behaviour
The findings also point to the ongoing shift in how consumers discover products. Search engines and retailer websites are increasingly being overshadowed by AI tools, which offer faster, more effective product recommendations, price comparisons, and product research.
Rithum’s findings dovetail with a growing body of research showing how swiftly AI is rising as a discovery tool. Half of consumers use AI-powered search today, and it stands to impact $750 billion in revenue by 2028, according to McKinsey. A recent IBM-NRF study found that 41% of grocery shoppers use AI to research products, with a further 33% using it to interpret reviews and 31% to hunt for deals.
And grocery certainly isn’t an outlier – it’s one of the dominant categories for AI transformation. Groceries and consumer packaged goods (CPG) lead the way in AI-driven purchases, according to Morgan Stanley data.
The challenge for grocers
For grocers, this creates a new competitive challenge. “Consumers are increasingly using AI as a personal grocery comparison tool, forcing retailers to compete in entirely new discovery environments,” said Sam Griffin, VP, strategy and engagementat Rithum.
With AI growing swiftly as a discovery channel, ensuring their products are top of the agentic shopping list will become the new challenge for retailers.
“When shoppers ask AI where they can find the best deal, the most suitable product, or the fastest delivery option, retailers need to ensure their pricing, promotions, and product information are accurate enough to surface in those recommendations,” Griffin added.
It may seem like early days for AI but it is already rapidly reshaping the retail landscape. The writing looks to be on the wall: while many retailers are investing heavily in AI, those that take their eye off the ball risk falling by the wayside.
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