Akeneo has published survey findings showing that consumers are using AI tools to research products, compare prices and find deals ahead of Amazon Prime Day. The poll found that 43% of respondents had used AI for shopping-related help.
The research suggests shoppers are taking a more cautious approach as economic pressure shapes spending decisions. Among those surveyed, 74% said the current economic climate is affecting how they plan to shop. Many are cutting back, focusing on lower-cost essentials and waiting for deeper discounts before buying.
Consumers are also scrutinising deals rather than taking headline offers at face value. The survey found that 62% compare prices across retailers before making a purchase, while only 9% trust deals without checking them first.
That behaviour is widening the field beyond Amazon during one of the retailer's biggest shopping events. More than half of respondents, 55%, said they plan to shop across multiple retailers rather than rely only on Amazon for Prime Day purchases.
AI in search
Consumers said they are using tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini for a range of shopping-related tasks. These include finding discounts, comparing products and prices, discovering new brands and summarising reviews before deciding whether to buy.
The findings suggest AI is entering the shopping journey as a research aid rather than a primary decision-maker. While 22% of respondents said they had bought a product based on an AI recommendation, another 20% said AI had influenced their consideration of a product even if they did not complete a purchase.
Traditional factors still carry more weight. Akeneo found that 55% of consumers said a product's final price had the biggest influence on their purchasing decisions during Prime Day, compared with 3% who cited AI-generated recommendations or search results as their biggest driver.
The results highlight a gap between the growing use of AI tools and the factors that ultimately determine whether a sale is made. Shoppers may use AI to speed up research, but price remains the clearest deciding factor at checkout.
Trust and data
The survey also underlines the importance of product information as shoppers compare offers across sites and channels. As consumers move between retailer websites, search engines and AI tools, the consistency and accuracy of product details can affect whether they feel confident enough to proceed with a purchase.
Romain Fouache, Chief Executive Officer at Akeneo, said the findings show consumers are making more deliberate choices. "Consumers aren't shopping on instinct alone. They're comparing products across channels, validating purchases and using AI to make smarter buying decisions," Fouache said.
He added that trust remains central even as AI becomes more visible in eCommerce. "As AI becomes more integrated into the shopping experience, consumers still expect accuracy, transparency and trust before making a purchase. Whether shoppers discover products through AI tools, retailer websites or search engines, the quality of product information will continue to shape how confident consumers feel when buying," he said.
The survey was commissioned by Akeneo and carried out by Dynata among 1,000 US consumers aged 18 and over. It examined how consumers are adapting their purchasing decisions, seeking value and using newer tools such as AI to discover products and find deals.
The findings add to evidence that deal-led shopping events are becoming less about impulse buying and more about structured comparison. With shoppers checking prices across sellers, consulting AI tools and holding out for deeper discounts, retailers face a customer base that is more selective and less willing to accept promotional claims without verification.
For online merchants, that shift may increase pressure to present clear product details and competitive prices across channels, particularly when consumers are no longer searching in just one place. More than half of respondents said they intended to look beyond Amazon, and only a small minority said they would trust a deal without checking it first.