AI is already shaping how Britain shops but retailers are still missing the mark

Artificial intelligence may be the newest accessory in the modern shopping journey, but according to new research from CI and T, very few retailers are wearing it well. The tech acceleration firm has released its Retail Tech Reality Check report, revealing a telling portrait of UK and Irish consumers who are already embracing AI while simultaneously wondering why the industry feels so far behind.

The study surveyed two thousand shoppers and uncovered a striking truth. Most people have already used AI in some form while shopping. Sixty one percent have engaged with it and over half do so often. Yet when asked to name a single memorable AI powered retail moment, sixty eight percent could not offer an example. The technology is present but the impact is missing.

There is desire for better. Sixty four percent of consumers want retailers to use AI to improve their experience. They just do not trust the way it is being deployed. Concerns over data privacy remain the loudest barrier. Shoppers also worry that AI will become a quiet sales assistant pushing them towards favoured brands rather than offering genuine guidance.

The numbers tell their own story. Eighty three percent say a data breach influences how they shop. Nearly half stop shopping with a retailer after a breach, either for a while or for good. With rising costs placing pressure on households, eighty percent expect prices to climb in the coming years and sixty four percent plan to shop more carefully as a result. The basics are struggling too. Eighty seven percent have arrived in store to discover that something they researched online is nowhere to be found.

The social side of shopping has also shifted into the mainstream. Seventy percent of respondents have bought something either directly or indirectly through social media with Facebook and TikTok leading the charge. The journey from discovery to purchase is becoming a single fluid motion that moves through platforms, content and channels without pause.

Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy and Insights at CI and T, believes retailers need to accelerate their understanding of how AI can support this new frontier. Convenience remains the ultimate deciding factor in how people choose to shop. Consumers want help finding what they need quickly, securing the best prices, and navigating increasingly complex choices without friction.

Minkow explains that shoppers want solutions but still value the thrill of discovery. The challenge for retailers is to create a path to purchase that delivers relevance and efficiency without stripping away control or personality.

The report suggests that 2026 will become a decisive year. AI is no longer a futuristic idea drifting around the edges of the consumer world. It is already here, shaping habits and expectations. What is missing is the spark, the memorable moment, the retailer bold enough to turn AI into something genuinely exciting and not merely functional.

For now the message from consumers is clear. They are open to AI. They are ready for AI. They are just still waiting for retailers to show them what great AI in shopping really looks like.