GENERATIVE AI IS FAST BECOMING CONSUMERS' GO-TO SHOPPING ADVISOR

Rhea-AI Summary

Synchrony (NYSE:SYF) survey (March 2, 2026) finds generative AI adoption rising in shopping. 56% of U.S. consumers used generative AI during the 2025 holiday season; among users 34% compared products and 29% hunted prices.

75% of consumers now take more time to find best prices; Gen Z shows higher comfort with AI recommendations and agent-led shopping than Boomers.

Positive

• 56% of consumers used generative AI during 2025 holiday shopping
• 34% used AI to compare products; 29% used AI to hunt for best prices
• 75% of consumers report taking more time to find best prices, boosting AI relevance
• High Gen Z comfort with AI: 45% accept product recommendations

Negative

• Significant generational trust gap: only 25% of Boomers comfortable with AI product recommendations
• Less than 20% of Boomers comfortable accepting financing recommendations or AI agents shopping for them
• Longer purchase decision times (75%) may slow conversion rates for retailers and lenders

Key Figures

Holiday AI usage: 56% AI compare products: 34% AI deal hunting: 29% +5 more

8 metrics

Holiday AI usage 56% U.S. consumers surveyed using generative AI in 2025 holiday season

AI compare products 34% Generative AI users who used it to compare products

AI deal hunting 29% Generative AI users who used it to hunt for best price

Price-conscious shoppers 75% Consumers taking more time to find best price

Gen Z product recs 45% Gen Z comfortable with AI product recommendations

Gen Z financing recs 44% Gen Z comfortable with AI financing options

Gen Z AI agents 41% Gen Z expecting to use AI agent for shopping tasks

Boomers product recs 25% Boomers comfortable with AI product recommendations

Market Reality Check

Price: $69.11 Vol: Volume 6,436,700 is 1.23x...

normal vol

$69.11 Last Close

Volume Volume 6,436,700 is 1.23x the 20-day average of 5,244,053 shares. normal

Technical Price at $69.11 is trading below the 200-day MA of $72.52 and 22.15% under the 52-week high of $88.77.

Peers on Argus

SYF fell 6.58% while key credit/fintech peers mostly declined less: SOFI -2.2%, ...

SYF fell 6.58% while key credit/fintech peers mostly declined less: SOFI -2.2%, ALLY -3.97%, COF -2.35%, OMF -2.39%, with PYPL +0.87%. The steeper SYF move versus mixed peers points to a more stock-specific reaction than a broad sector move.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 25 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 25	Financing partnership renewal	Positive	+2.9%	Renewal of long-standing Polaris consumer financing partnership across U.S. dealer network.
Feb 19	Earnings results	Positive	+1.5%	Weave Q4 and FY 2025 revenue growth and guidance update with margin improvement.
Feb 19	CareCredit integration	Positive	-0.8%	Strategic integration of Synchrony’s CareCredit into Weave’s platform for patient financing.
Feb 18	Partnership expansion	Positive	+0.8%	Expanded Planet DDS partnership making CareCredit preferred financing across dental platforms.
Feb 17	Consumer cost survey	Positive	+1.3%	Survey on car ownership costs highlighting financing role for managing rising expenses.

Pattern Detected

Across recent news, SYF’s stock reaction has generally aligned with mostly positive partnership and survey updates, with one divergence on a partnership headline.

Recent Company History

Over the past weeks, Synchrony has focused on partnerships and consumer insights. On Feb 25, it renewed a nearly 20-year Polaris financing partnership, and on Feb 18 expanded its Planet DDS partnership to over 15,000 dental and 2,500 orthodontic practices; both saw modest positive price moves. A Feb 17 survey about car ownership costs also coincided with a gain. One Weave–Synchrony CareCredit integration announcement on Feb 19 saw a small negative reaction, showing occasional divergence from otherwise supportive news.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement underscores Synchrony’s focus on generative AI as a driver of shopping, payments, ...

Analysis

This announcement underscores Synchrony’s focus on generative AI as a driver of shopping, payments, and financing experiences, with figures like 56% holiday AI usage and 75% of consumers spending more time on price discovery. In the past several months, the company paired such insights with financing partnerships and platform integrations. Investors may track how these AI trends intersect with credit performance, digital adoption, and future partnerships or regulatory filings to gauge strategic execution and risk balance.

Key Terms

generative ai, ai-powered, ai agent, agentic commerce

4 terms

generative ai technical

"56% of U.S. consumers surveyed report using generative AI during the holiday shopping season"

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 technical

"AI-powered product discovery and deal hunting were the top holiday shopping use cases"

"AI-powered" describes technology that uses artificial intelligence to perform tasks, make decisions, or analyze information automatically. It’s similar to having a highly skilled assistant that can learn from data, recognize patterns, and improve over time, helping to make processes faster and more accurate. For investors, this means better insights and more efficient operations, potentially leading to smarter investment choices.

ai agent technical

"41% of Gen Z expect to use an AI agent to complete shopping tasks on their behalf"

An AI agent is software that uses artificial intelligence to observe data, decide on actions, and carry them out with little or no human intervention. For investors, AI agents matter because they can automate tasks like trading, customer support, or data analysis, potentially boosting efficiency, lowering costs, and changing a company’s competitive edge—much like a tireless, adaptable assistant running parts of a business continuously.

agentic commerce technical

"meet the momentum of the age of agentic commerce and adapt to every consumers shopping behavior"

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.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Synchrony survey finds approximately a third of consumers used AI for finding products and deals

Key Highlights

• 56% of U.S. consumers surveyed report using generative AI during the holiday shopping season
• Among those users, AI-powered product discovery and deal hunting were the top holiday shopping use cases, accounting for approximately a third of generative AI usage across all age demographics
• 75% of U.S. consumers surveyed are taking more time to find the best price, signaling AI may play a larger role in shopping, payments, loyalty, and financing decisions

STAMFORD, Conn., March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a premier consumer financial services company, today announced key findings from its In Sync with Consumers survey, a quarterly series that provides insights on how Americans shop, spend, and access credit in an evolving retail landscape. The survey* findings revealed a shift in consumer behavior showing that:

• More than half (56%) of U.S. consumers surveyed using generative AI during the 2025 holiday shopping season
• Among those users spanning all age demographics, approximately a third used generative AI to compare products (34%) and hunt for the best price (29%)
• Three-quarters (75%) of consumers across income levels are taking more time to find the best price when making a purchase decision suggesting generative AI may become an increasingly important tool for consumers to make the right purchasing decision

"AI is becoming the newest shopping advisor, helping consumers make decisions with more confidence and less friction," said Carol Juel, executive vice president and Chief Technology and Operating Officer at Synchrony. "What we're seeing is growing adoption that goes well beyond curiosity. As this accelerates, the winning experiences will be the ones that feel human, trusted, and seamlessly connected to loyalty, financing, and rewards."

The data also highlights generational differences in comfort and trust, underscoring rising expectations that AI-powered shopping experiences will continue to expand, especially for younger consumers. The survey shows that:

• 45% of Gen Z report they are comfortable taking product recommendations from an AI tool
• 44% of Gen Z are comfortable taking financing options from an AI tool
• 41% of Gen Z expect to use an AI agent to complete shopping tasks on their behalf in the future

On the other end of the spectrum, nearly a quarter of Boomers (25%) report they are comfortable taking product recommendations from an AI tool, but less than 20% are comfortable taking financing recommendations or having an AI agent shop on their behalf. 

This data illustrates the importance of developing AI-integrated systems to meet the momentum of the age of agentic commerce and adapt to every consumers shopping behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the significance of this announcement?

A1: The survey highlights a shift in consumer shopping behavior, showing that generative AI is rapidly becoming a tool for product discovery and deal hunting.

Q2: How does this compare to existing solutions or services? 

A2: Unlike traditional shopping tools, generative AI enables more personalized, conversational and confidence-building experiences that connect shopping decisions directly to payments, loyalty and financing.

Q3: Where can I learn more?

A3: Learn more about Synchrony and its use of generative AI here.

About Synchrony
Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company that has been at the heart of American commerce and opportunity for nearly a century. Synchrony delivers credit and banking products that empower tens of millions of consumers to improve their financial lives and access what matters most. Leveraging innovative solutions that are shaping the future of retail commerce, Synchrony supports the growth and success of some of the nation's most respected brands, alongside hundreds of thousands of small and midsize businesses, including health and wellness providers. Committed to excellence in service and culture, Synchrony is honored to be ranked the #2 Best Company to Work For^® in the U.S. by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work^®. For more information, visit www.synchrony.com.

*Methodology: Survey captures ongoing monthly sentiment from a broad, nationally representative sample of 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18 and older, balanced to reflect U.S. Census demographics. These results were collected between October 1, 2025 and December 5, 2025.

Media Contact
Ashley Tufts 
(203) 216-6277 
ashley.tufts2@syf.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/generative-ai-is-fast-becoming-consumers-go-to-shopping-advisor-302700089.html

SOURCE Synchrony

FAQ

How many consumers used generative AI for holiday shopping according to SYF's March 2, 2026 survey?

About 56% of U.S. consumers reported using generative AI during the 2025 holiday season. According to Synchrony, that adoption included product discovery and deal hunting, suggesting growing consumer reliance on AI for purchase research and comparisons.

What proportion of SYF survey respondents used AI to compare products or hunt for prices?

Approximately a third used AI for product comparison and deal hunting: 34% compared products and 29% hunted prices. According to Synchrony, these were the top holiday shopping AI use cases across age groups, indicating practical shopping use.

What does the SYF survey say about Gen Z comfort with AI shopping recommendations?

Gen Z shows notably higher comfort with AI: 45% accept product recommendations and 44% accept financing suggestions. According to Synchrony, 41% of Gen Z expect AI agents to complete shopping tasks in the future, signaling stronger future adoption.

How might SYF's survey findings affect payments, loyalty, and financing strategies for retailers?

The survey suggests AI may increasingly connect shopping to payments, loyalty, and financing decisions as consumers rely on AI. According to Synchrony, rising AI use could drive integration of financing and rewards into conversational shopping experiences.

What generational barriers did Synchrony identify that could limit AI-driven commerce adoption?

The survey found a trust gap: about 25% of Boomers are comfortable with AI product recommendations and under 20% with AI financing or agents. According to Synchrony, this divide could slow uniform adoption across age groups.