Independent AI Shopping Assistants Preferred by 74% of Consumers Over Retailer-Built Tools

Quick Summary

A new study from PSE Consulting reveals that 74% of consumers prefer using an independent AI shopping assistant for product discovery rather than tools embedded in retail platforms. While shoppers use AI to compare prices, they still rely on established marketplaces like Amazon or Expedia to complete transactions and handle logistics.

How Does an Independent AI Shopping Assistant Change Consumer Behavior?

The rise of the independent AI shopping assistant is fundamentally decoupling the discovery phase from the transaction phase. Consumers are increasingly turning to universal tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or specialized category-specific AI to navigate choice across the internet. This shift is driven primarily by price sensitivity, as independent agents can scan multiple merchants simultaneously to find the best deal.

• 74% of shoppers prefer third-party or universal AI tools over merchant-owned ones.
• 41% favor universal tools like ChatGPT or Claude for broad searches.
• 33% prefer specialist AI for high-intent categories like travel or healthcare.

By moving the product discovery layer outside of the retailer's walled garden, consumers gain a broader market view that isn't limited by a single platform's commercial ecosystem or inventory.

Will Agentic Commerce Replace Traditional Online Marketplaces?

Despite the shift in how people find products, agentic commerce is not yet displacing the execution layer of retail. The research indicates that 90% of consumers expect their use of retail marketplaces to remain steady or increase. This suggests that while AI finds the product, the operational trust associated with established brands remains vital for the final purchase.

• 88% of users will maintain or increase food delivery platform usage.
• Only 10% expect to reduce their reliance on major retail marketplaces.
• Price comparison remains the #1 driver for using AI in the shopping journey.

Marketplaces continue to dominate because they provide payment, fulfilment, and support - areas where current AI agents lack the infrastructure to compete directly. The independent AI shopping assistant acts as the new search engine, while the marketplace remains the checkout counter.

What is the Future of Platform-Embedded AI?

While independent tools win on discovery, platform-embedded AI still has a critical role to play further down the purchase funnel. Once a consumer has narrowed their shortlist, merchant-specific AI can provide personalized recommendations and deep product evaluation that a general assistant might miss. This creates a two-tier ecosystem where different AI agents handle different stages of the journey.

• 10% of consumers currently prefer embedded AI for initial discovery.
• Success for merchants now depends on being "AI-discoverable" upstream.
• Marketplace AI will focus on conversion and post-purchase service.

The battle for the consumer is moving to the AI discovery layer. Brands must ensure their data is accessible to independent agents to ensure they are even considered before the user reaches a marketplace.

FF NEWS TAKE:

This research confirms that the independent AI shopping assistant is the new Google Search. For fintechs and retailers, the "needle-mover" here is the realization that brand loyalty is being bypassed by algorithmic efficiency. If 74% of your customers are letting a third-party bot pick their products, your UX doesn't matter as much as your API's ability to talk to ChatGPT. The transaction remains safe for now, but the influence has shifted.