IBM-NRF Study: Brands and Retailers Navigate a New Reality as AI Shapes Consumer Decisions Before Shopping Begins

Rhea-AI Summary

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the National Retail Federation released a global study (Q3 2025) showing AI is reshaping pre-purchase decisions. The report finds 72% of consumers still shop in stores while 45% use AI during buying journeys—including 41% for product research, 33% to interpret reviews, and 31% for deal hunting.

The study surveyed over 18,000 consumers across 23 countries and 200 executives. Key retailer gaps: 54% report persistent channel/data challenges and 51% cite limited AI expertise. Recommendations include data readiness, testing, agent use, and amplifying brand distinctiveness.

Positive

• 45% of consumers use AI during buying journeys
• 41% use AI to research products
• Survey covers 18,000 consumers across 23 countries

Negative

• 54% of executives report persistent channel and data challenges
• 51% of executives cite limited AI expertise
• Consumer expectations for AI are forming faster than retail models

News Market Reaction

-1.90%

1 alert

-1.90% News Effect

On the day this news was published, IBM declined 1.90%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

In-store shoppers: 72% Use AI in journey: 45% Use AI to research: 41% +5 more

8 metrics

In-store shoppers 72% Share of surveyed consumers still shopping in stores (IBM–NRF study)

Use AI in journey 45% Consumers turning to AI for help during buying journeys

Use AI to research 41% Consumers using AI to research products

AI to interpret reviews 33% Consumers using AI to interpret reviews

AI to hunt deals 31% Consumers using AI to hunt for deals

Store experience focus 35% Consumers wanting visually appealing stores with no wait times

Smart homes with AI 30% Consumers wanting smart homes with AI personal shoppers and autonomous delivery

Social platform purchasing 29% Consumers looking for effortless purchasing via social platforms

Market Reality Check

Price: $291.35 Vol: Volume 4,138,684 is 11% a...

normal vol

$291.35 Last Close

Volume Volume 4,138,684 is 11% above the 20-day average of 3,736,507. normal

Technical Price 302.47 is trading above the 200-day MA at 272.57, reflecting a stronger trend.

Peers on Argus

Key peers show mixed moves: ACN +4.9%, CTSH +4.2%, FIS +2.13%, INFY +1.46%, whil...

Key peers show mixed moves: ACN +4.9%, CTSH +4.2%, FIS +2.13%, INFY +1.46%, while FI -0.17%. IBM’s positive pre-news setup alongside AI-focused peer headlines (e.g., INFY collaborations) suggests broad interest in enterprise AI, but not a tightly synchronized sector move.

Common Catalyst Multiple peers, notably INFY, reported AI-related collaborations, underscoring ongoing AI adoption across IT services.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 11 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 11	AI partnership	Positive	-0.6%	Global Pearson partnership to build AI-powered personalized learning tools at scale.
Dec 08	AI acquisition	Positive	+0.4%	Planned Confluent acquisition to create a smart data platform for generative AI.
Dec 08	AI partnership	Positive	+0.4%	Three-year collaboration with Riyadh Air to build an AI-native airline platform.
Dec 05	Regulatory designation	Positive	-0.0%	Designation as critical ICT third-party provider under EU DORA for financial sector.
Nov 20	Quantum collaboration	Positive	+0.7%	Planned IBM–Cisco network of large-scale quantum computers targeting early 2030s.

Pattern Detected

Recent IBM news has largely been positive (AI deals, strategic designations, quantum plans), with modest single-day moves and two instances where positive headlines coincided with slight share declines.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, IBM reported several strategic milestones. On Dec 8, 2025, it agreed to acquire Confluent for an $11 billion enterprise value to bolster generative AI data capabilities. Partnerships with Riyadh Air and Cisco targeted AI-native aviation and large-scale quantum computing, while an EU DORA designation highlighted regulatory importance. Prior AI studies and collaborations showed that ambitious AI initiatives can draw mixed near-term price reactions, a backdrop for this new AI-focused retail study.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights an IBM–NRF global study showing how AI influences consumer decisions we...

Analysis

This announcement highlights an IBM–NRF global study showing how AI influences consumer decisions well before purchasing. With 45% of surveyed consumers using AI in their buying journey and meaningful shares relying on AI for research and deal discovery, the findings reinforce IBM’s AI positioning alongside prior AI partnerships and research. Investors may watch how such insights translate into consulting demand, AI platform adoption, and further cross-industry AI collaborations over time.

Key Terms

generative ai, ai-powered shopping assistants, super apps, smart homes, +3 more

7 terms

generative ai technical

"Generative AI is reshaping the first steps of our shopping experience"

Generative AI is a type of computer technology that can create new content, like text, images, or music, on its own. It’s important because it can produce realistic and useful material quickly, which could change how we create art, write stories, or even develop new products. Think of it as a smart robot that can invent and produce things almost like a human.

ai-powered shopping assistants technical

"Consumers are growing increasingly accustomed to AI-powered shopping assistants helping them decide"

AI-powered shopping assistants are software tools that use artificial intelligence to guide customers through product discovery, purchase decisions, and post-sale support—like a personal shopping concierge or GPS for online stores. They matter to investors because they can increase sales, reduce customer support costs, and generate rich data about buyer preferences; those effects can boost revenue, improve profit margins, and signal competitive advantage for retailers and platform owners.

super apps technical

"one in three consumers seek super apps that combine commerce with other services"

A super app is a single mobile platform that combines many services — such as messaging, shopping, payments, ride-hailing, and financial tools — so users can do lots of daily tasks without leaving the app. For investors, super apps matter because they can capture more customer time and data, create multiple revenue streams, and make it cheaper to sell new products to an existing user base, similar to a shopping mall that also runs banking and advertising inside one building.

smart homes technical

"30% want smart homes with AI personal shoppers and autonomous delivery"

Smart homes are residences equipped with internet-connected devices and systems—such as thermostats, lights, locks, cameras and appliances—that can be monitored, automated and controlled remotely. For investors, smart homes matter because they create new hardware sales, ongoing subscription and service revenue, and opportunities to reshape energy and construction demand, while also introducing cybersecurity and privacy risks that can affect company value.

autonomous delivery technical

"30% want smart homes with AI personal shoppers and autonomous delivery"

Autonomous delivery is the use of self‑driving vehicles, drones, or ground robots to move goods from one place to another without a human operator onboard. For investors it matters because it can cut labor and fuel costs, speed up deliveries and enable new markets—like having a virtual fleet that behaves like an automated storefront—while also introducing technology, regulatory and safety risks that can affect growth, margins and capital needs.

agentic commerce technical

"preparing for AI-enabled shopping and agentic commerce, the IBM Institute"

Agentic commerce is buying and selling driven by autonomous digital agents — such as smart apps, bots, or AI assistants — that act on a person’s or business’s behalf to find, compare, negotiate and execute transactions. Investors should care because these agents can change who controls customer relationships, cut costs and speed up sales like a personal shopper that never sleeps, but they also shift competitive dynamics, data value and regulatory risk for platforms and retailers.

omnichannel technical

"Head of Insights (AI and Omnichannel) at Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy"

A coordinated approach to selling and serving customers across all touchpoints—stores, websites, mobile apps, social media, and call centers—so the experience feels like one continuous conversation no matter where a customer interacts. For investors, omnichannel capability signals how well a company can attract and keep customers, turn interactions into sales, and use shared customer data to cut costs and boost revenue—making it a key driver of growth and competitive strength.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

The following article is authored by Dee Waddell, Global Head of Consumer, Travel & Transportation Industries, IBM Consulting.

ARMONK, N.Y., Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Generative AI is reshaping 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, moving where brands and retailers compete to an entirely 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 surveyed consumers (72%) still shop in stores, almost half (45%) turn to AI for help during their buying journeys. Shoppers still want to see and touch products, but today's savvy consumers increasingly arrive with a sense of what they're looking for and why. They are using AI to research products (41%), interpret reviews (33%), and hunt for deals (31%).

"AI is changing how consumers shop, and every aspect throughout the shopping journey," notes Caroline Reppert, Senior Director, AI and Technology Policy at the National Retail Federation, "As these technologies increasingly guide consumer discovery, comparison, and choice, retailers that understand and respond to this shift will be best positioned to earn trust, relevance, and long-term customer loyalty."

From browsing to guided buying: How AI is shaping choices
For leading brands and retailers, this shift toward AI-shaped discovery is prompting a rethink of how and where they engage consumers.

As Matthieu Houle, CIO at ALDO Group, explains, "AI is turning shopping into a trusted conversation, much more than a search. Consumers now rely on assistants that feel almost human, know their preferences, and offer neutral, best-for-me advice that reshapes how they validate and decide what to buy."

While 35% of surveyed consumers still desire visually appealing stores with no wait times, AI-powered solutions are nearly as important. In fact, one in three consumers seek super apps that combine commerce with other services, 30% want smart homes with AI personal shoppers and autonomous delivery, and 29% look for effortless purchasing through social platforms.

Consumers are growing increasingly accustomed to AI-powered shopping assistants helping them decide what to buy. That expectation, however, is forming faster than most retail operating models can keep pace, forcing the question: Is our data ready to guide and validate what customers ultimately choose?

"AI is not a magic wand," emphasizes Stanislas Vignon, Head of Insights (AI and Omnichannel) at Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH), "If you don't have the right data, it doesn't work. And you must test your solution to know whether it works and where it will bring value."

How brands and retailers can stay ahead of AI-driven consumers
As AI transforms how consumers make choices, brands and retailers need to anticipate change and intentionally design experiences that meet shoppers where they are, with focus on:

• Redesign the journey around future decision moments. Identify where consumers will use AI to research, compare, and look for value, and ensure those moments connect seamlessly to purchase.
• Use agents to reduce uncertainty earlier in the journey. Put deal-hunting, review interpretation, and personal shopping support where it will help consumers decide, not only where it deflects service volume.
• Make data readiness and testing non-negotiable. With more than half of surveyed brand executives (54%) reporting persistent challenges across channels and systems, aligning product and policy truth and testing end-to-end is essential.
• Amplify what makes the brand distinctive. Use AI to scale relevance and remove friction while preserving creativity and authentic brand expression.
• Invest in AI skills and partnerships. More than half of executives (51%) cite limited AI expertise, underscoring the need to strengthen internal capabilities while partnering strategically to scale AI responsibly and effectively.

AI is reshaping where, when, and how decisions are made across every industry. In retail, understanding AI-influenced consumer behavior will become a defining competitive advantage, separating brands and retailers that shape decisions from those that simply fulfill them.

To view the full study, visit: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/agentic-commerce.

*Study methodology
To examine how consumers and business leaders are preparing for AI-enabled shopping and agentic commerce, the IBM Institute for Business Value conducted two global surveys in Q3 2025: one of consumers and one of industry executives. The consumer survey included over 18,000 respondents from 23 countries, representing diverse shopping behaviors. The executive survey gathered insights from 200 senior leaders across retail, consumer goods, and e-commerce organizations. Respondents were segmented by engagement style, price sensitivity, and AI-related knowledge. Descriptive analyses identified key patterns, and validated statistical techniques were applied to compare priorities and assess trust-focused engagement strategies.

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.  Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media Contact:

Alexandra Prevor
IBM
alexandra.prevor@ibm.com 

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SOURCE IBM

FAQ

What did the IBM-NRF study (Jan 7, 2026) find about AI use by shoppers?

The study found 45% of consumers use AI in their buying journeys and 41% use it to research products.

How many people did the IBM Institute for Business Value survey for the Q3 2025 study?

The consumer survey included over 18,000 respondents from 23 countries and an executive survey of 200 leaders.

What operational challenges did IBM-NRF identify for retailers (IBM)?

The report notes 54% of executives report channel/data challenges and 51% report limited AI expertise.

Which shopping activities are consumers using AI for, per IBM-NRF?

Consumers use AI to research products (41%), interpret reviews (33%), and hunt for deals (31%).

What strategic steps does the IBM-NRF study recommend for brands and retailers?

Recommendations include redesigning decision moments, prioritizing data readiness and testing, using agents earlier, and investing in AI skills.

Does the IBM-NRF study say in-store shopping is declining (IBM)?

No; the study reports 72% of surveyed consumers still shop in stores despite rising AI use.