UK Shoppers embrace AI-assisted commerce insights

New research from Commerce and PayPal suggests consumers are increasingly willing to let AI help them shop, but widespread adoption of agentic commerce will depend on payment security, transparency and maintaining consumer control over purchasing decisions.

UK Shoppers embrace AI-assisted commerce insights

According to The Agentic AI Shopping Research Report | BigCommerce, UK consumers are becoming increasingly receptive to AI-powered shopping assistants, signalling that agentic commerce is moving from concept to commercial reality. However, the study also reveals that trust—not technology—is likely to determine how quickly consumers allow AI to make purchases on their behalf.

The survey, conducted by Logica Research, questioned 1,000 UK online shoppers and found that 64 per cent would be willing to use agentic AI shopping tools. Interest is primarily driven by practical financial benefits, with 31 per cent wanting AI to identify the retailer offering the lowest price, while 28 per cent want automated access to promotions and discounts.

Consumers Want AI to Assist – Not Take Control

While enthusiasm for AI-assisted shopping is growing, consumers remain cautious about handing over purchasing authority.

Although only 21 per cent of UK shoppers currently use AI to support online purchases, 70 per cent say they would like AI to assist with shopping in the future, and 62 per cent of non-users expect to try AI shopping tools within the next twelve months.

However, the research highlights several barriers to adoption. The biggest concern, cited by 43 per cent of respondents, is that AI could complete purchases without explicit approval. Other concerns include bank account security (39 per cent), buying the wrong product (32 per cent) and the misuse of personal data (29 per cent).

Payments Will Be Central to Consumer Confidence

The findings underline the critical role payment providers will play in enabling agentic commerce.

An overwhelming 83 per cent of respondents said AI shopping platforms must provide payment security that is at least equal to, or better than, existing online payment methods. Trust was spread relatively evenly across technology companies, online payment providers, marketplaces and established payment networks, suggesting consumers are placing greater emphasis on security and reliability than on any single brand.

Transparency also emerged as a defining issue. More than half (55 per cent) believe sponsored recommendations should be clearly labelled, while 46 per cent oppose retailers paying for preferential placement within AI-generated shopping recommendations.

The Bigger Picture

The research illustrates that the debate around agentic commerce is rapidly moving beyond technological capability towards governance and trust. Consumers appear comfortable allowing AI to compare products, identify savings and streamline purchasing journeys, but they are not yet prepared to surrender control of financial decisions.

For the payments industry, this represents a significant opportunity. Banks, payment providers and merchants that can combine secure authentication, transparent recommendation models and consumer-controlled payment authorisation are likely to become the trusted infrastructure underpinning AI-driven commerce. As AI agents increasingly become participants in the retail economy, competitive advantage will depend less on automation itself and more on building the trust frameworks that encourage consumers to use it with confidence.