Preparing for AI-powered shopping

Preparing for AI-first shopping

Even though AI-driven shopping is still emerging, many businesses are already adapting their strategies.

More than four in ten marketers and business owners (43%) said their companies are actively optimizing for AI-driven product search today. This includes over half of respondents working on technology, marketing, and finance teams, at 59%, 56%, and 53%, respectively.

Another 26% of marketers and business owners said they plan to follow suit within the next year. That means more than two-thirds are moving toward an AI-ready future. The most common changes brands are making include optimizing product data (39%) and improving content freshness (37%), two keys to better AI visibility.

Half of all marketers and business owners were concerned that their products may not surface in AI-driven results due to poor data hygiene. This refers to the accuracy, consistency, and structure of product information across digital platforms. Without good data hygiene, even well-designed content may be overlooked by AI-powered search tools.

Where AI fits into future budgets and discovery channels

As AI's role in shopping grows, so does its share of the marketing budget.

On average, business owners and marketers reported that their companies allocated 21% of their marketing budget to AI readiness. They also projected this to rise to 29% by 2026, a 38% increase over today. Most respondents said they trust AI platforms to fairly surface their brand's products in search results without ad spend, though 23% said they don’t.

When asked which platforms they believe would drive product discovery in the next few years, 66% pointed to ChatGPT, followed by 45% for Google's Search Generative Experience, and 26% for Meta AI.

Nearly half (48%) said they see AI shopping as an opportunity for their business. Only 9% viewed it as a threat, indicating that optimism outweighs fear, even as technology rapidly changes.

How marketers expect customers to search and trust

With so much change on the horizon, how do marketers think customers will adapt?

More than half of survey respondents (54%) said they expect product discovery to happen equally through AI and traditional search in the next two years. Another 36% believe AI platforms will take the lead, signaling a strong expectation for a hybrid or AI-first discovery model.

When it comes to how AI tools will display recommended products, 35% of respondents believe a mix of product relevance, reviews, and brand trust signals will matter most. Others expect relevance will be weighed alongside ad spend (26%), while 14% believe AI results will mostly follow a pay-to-play model, where paid promotion outweighs organic visibility.

Marketers and business owners are also considering how consumers will feel about AI recommendations. About two in five (39%) believed customers will trust these suggestions as much as they do peer or influencer reviews, marking a major shift in digital word-of-mouth.

Still, knowledge gaps remain. Half of all respondents said they haven't yet considered Model Context Protocol (MCP), a key emerging standard in AI product surfacing. But among early adopters, 28% are researching, 16% have audited their data, 14% have structured their product information, and 9% have partnered with vendors, laying the groundwork for the next wave of AI shopping.

Tools for AI product discovery

In a world where product discovery is increasingly powered by AI, having the right creative tools can make your content more visible, relevant, and engaging. Adobe Express offers marketers and business owners powerful ways to prepare for this shift, including:

• AI tools: Use generative fill, text-to-image, and background removal to create high-quality, on-brand product content fast.
• Templates: Design polished visuals for listings, social posts, and ads that help products stand out in AI-powered search results.
• Content Scheduler: Plan and schedule product-focused posts across platforms like Instagram and TikTok to stay visible and consistent.
• Brand kits: Keep logos, fonts, and colors organized to ensure every product asset aligns with your brand identity.

These tools help ensure your product content is clean, consistent, and ready for AI-powered experiences, whether your customer is browsing a marketplace, chatting with an AI assistant, or discovering you in search.