AI assistants are beginning to shape how people discover and compare products. For retailers, the question is how to stay useful when a new kind of intermediary enters the customer journey…

Imagine a shopper asking an AI assistant to find a coat that works for a rainy commute, costs less than £150 and is available nearby. The assistant compares options, checks details and perhaps recommends where to buy. The shopper still makes the trip, but the shortlist may already have been made.

That future is not fully here, and how quickly it arrives remains uncertain. But the direction is clear. AI is moving from answering questions towards helping people make decisions and take action. In a 2026 survey, 44 per cent of UK shoppers said they were open to AI handling the entire shopping process, including purchase, once they had set their preferences. That signals interest, though trust and control will matter as much as convenience.

A new influence on the shopping journey

Retailers have long worked to understand how people discover products and decide what to buy. AI assistants add another influence: A service that can interpret a request, compare information from different sources and present a small set of recommendations.

For retailers, that raises practical questions. Can an assistant find accurate product information? Are availability, price and store details up to date? Does the retailer’s proposition come through clearly when a third party is helping the shopper choose?

These are not only ecommerce questions. A shopper may use AI to research a product, then visit a store to see it, try it or ask for advice. The store’s role could become more important precisely because some parts of discovery and comparison are becoming easier to automate.

The store still has something AI cannot provide alone

A recommendation can narrow the options, but it cannot replicate all reason people choose to shop in person. Shoppers may want to judge quality for themselves, compare colours or fit, get knowledgeable advice, or simply enjoy browsing. Their needs can also change once they are in the store.

That creates an opportunity for retailers to make the physical experience a natural continuation of the digital one. Product information should be easy to access. Relevant services and offers should be clear. Store teams should be able to help without having to work around disconnected systems or out-of-date information.

AI may also support those teams, helping them find information or respond to common questions. But it should complement human interaction, with a clear route to a person when shoppers want reassurance, expertise, or a more nuanced answer.

Trust will shape how far shoppers delegate

Allowing an assistant to research a product is different from letting it spend money. As AI takes on more of the journey, shoppers will want to understand what information it used, why it made a recommendation and who is responsible if something goes wrong.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has highlighted consumer protection issues around agentic AI, including transparency, choice and accountability. Retailers should keep those questions in view as they explore new experiences.

The same care applies in-store. Personalisation can be helpful when it is relevant and expected; it can feel intrusive when its purpose is unclear. Retailers will need to decide where automation genuinely improves the experience, how people remain in control, and when a human response is more appropriate.

Prepare for a journey with more handovers

Retailers do not need to predict exactly which AI assistants shoppers will use, or how quickly they will delegate purchases. They can start by strengthening the foundations that make any customer journey work: accurate product and location information, connected systems, consistent service and clear ownership of the experience.

They can also view the journey from the shopper’s perspective. What might someone already know when they arrive? What questions could remain? Where could a store visit add confidence or value? And how can colleagues help the shopper move from an AI-generated shortlist to a decision that feels right for them?

Delivering that experience across different store formats and systems takes coordination. Retailers can work with specialist partners to connect the technology and operational processes, then adapt the experience as customer expectations develop. At Scala, we enable retailers and their partners to shape and deliver digital in-store experiences that make each interaction more useful for shoppers and store teams.

AI assistants may change who influences a purchase before a shopper reaches the store. Retailers can respond by making sure the experience that follows is worth the visit: connected, helpful and human where it matters.

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