Gartner Marketing Survey Finds 34% of U.S. Consumers Are Willing to Use GenAI for Holiday Gift Recommendations
AI users consult more holiday shopping inspiration sources than nonusers, while stores and Amazon remain the leading expected purchase channels.
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Marketers Should Prepare for More Fragmented Discovery Journeys
A Gartner survey of 1,004 US consumers conducted in August 2026 found that AI is emerging as a potential avenue for shopping inspiration, though traditional discovery and purchase channels remain dominant.
“AI is beginning to establish a role in the holiday shopping journey, but it is not replacing the channels consumers already use,” said Emily Weiss, Sr Principal Analyst in the Gartner Marketing practice. “Consumers who use AI for holiday shopping are also consulting a wider range of other sources, meaning marketers should prepare for more fragmented discovery journeys.”
AI Expands, Rather Than Replaces, Holiday Shopping Discovery
Retailer websites, traditional internet searches, and friends’ and family wishlists remain the most common sources of holiday shopping inspiration. In-store shopping and Amazon are also expected to remain the leading purchase channels, with
Consumers who currently use AI tools or chatbots for holiday shopping inspiration consult an average of 4.48 inspiration sources, compared with 3.24 among consumers who don’t use AI for holiday shopping inspiration. The finding indicates that AI is currently adding another layer to product discovery rather than replacing established shopping behaviors.
“Marketers should not treat AI shopping tools as a standalone channel,” said Weiss. “Consumers are layering AI onto existing shopping behaviors, making an already fragmented discovery journey even more complex. Marketers need to make products easy to discover and evaluate across AI tools, search, retailer websites, marketplaces and stores.”
Additional Insights Available
Gartner clients can read more in the report 2026 Holiday Advertising and Consumer Trends Marketing Must Address.
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Elizabeth Bishop
Gartner
elizabeth.bishop@gartner.com
Juliette Dixon
Gartner
juliette.dixon@gartner.com
Source: Gartner, Inc.