TL;DR
A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 UK adults found that most online shoppers have not used AI product recommendations, and only 3% of respondents frequently use AI shopping assistants. The findings, commissioned by logistics group Paxon, also point to varied consumer interest in live shopping, smart glasses and marketplaces, leaving retailers to prepare for changing demand without clear evidence of mass adoption.
A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 UK adults found that 62% of online shoppers had never used AI product recommendations, while only 3% of all respondents said they frequently use AI shopping assistants. Commissioned by logistics group Paxon, the research suggests retailers face uncertainty about how quickly new shopping tools will change demand and what that could mean for fulfilment.
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The survey found 21% had seen products suggested by AI but never bought them, while 43% said they had never been recommended a product by AI. One in 10 online consumers said they were likely to use AI to make online purchases in the next 12 months. The source did not specify the survey fieldwork dates or provide a detailed breakdown of how respondents defined AI recommendations and shopping assistants.
The findings covered other emerging channels as well. 64% said they had never watched a live-shopping stream. Among online shoppers, 16% said they were likely to use smart glasses for shopping, rising to 37% among 18- to 24-year-olds. Three in 10 respondents said they were more likely to shop through marketplaces than retailer or brand websites over the next 12 months.
On delivery expectations, 30% thought drone delivery would make waits of more than 24 hours unacceptable. Social media influence appeared limited for many respondents: 30% said social content and recommendations did not encourage them to buy products they were not already searching for, and 31% said they were rarely influenced by social media. These are survey responses, not evidence that actual purchasing or delivery behaviour has already changed.
Fulfilment Faces Uncertain Demand
The findings matter to retailers because a shift in how customers discover and buy products can affect stock planning, order volumes and delivery operations. If AI recommendations or marketplaces send customers to products in sudden bursts, retailers may need fulfilment systems that can respond. The survey, however, does not quantify the scale or timing of any such effect.
Paxon UK CEO Wayne Chapman argued that retailers should be ready for demand to become harder to predict if AI tools make purchasing quicker. That is a company executive’s assessment, rather than a measured result from the survey. For consumers, the underlying issue is more direct: regardless of the route to purchase, they expect products to be available and delivered promptly.
The data also cautions against treating emerging formats as already mainstream. Most respondents had not tried AI recommendations or watched a live-shopping stream, and interest in smart glasses was limited overall. Retailers therefore face a balancing act: prepare for new channels while avoiding unnecessary investment and complexity before customer uptake is clearer.
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Several Channels, Uneven Uptake
Paxon commissioned the research as it rebranded and brought together logistics businesses Radial, Staci, Active Ants and Base Logistics. That commercial context is relevant: the company provides logistics services and its chief executive’s comments make the connection between new shopping habits and fulfilment capacity.
The survey results describe different stages of consumer engagement, from having encountered an AI suggestion to actually buying through an AI tool. Those measures should not be treated as interchangeable. For example, the finding that 43% had never received an AI product recommendation is distinct from the finding that 62% had never used AI product recommendations.
The report also describes marketplace shopping as gaining momentum, but the cited figure is about respondents’ stated likelihood of using marketplaces over the next year. It does not establish how many have already shifted their spending, or whether that intention will translate into purchases.
“AI shopping is still pretty new, but it’s not going away. If it makes it quicker and easier for people to buy, demand is going to become harder to predict.”
— Wayne Chapman, Paxon UK CEO
Adoption and Impact Remain Unclear
The research captures consumer responses at one point in time, but the source material does not provide fieldwork dates, survey methodology details or confidence intervals. It also does not show whether stated intentions to use AI, marketplaces or smart glasses will become actual purchases.
Nor does the survey measure the operational effect of these tools on retailers: it gives no estimate of changes in order volumes, inventory needs, delivery costs or fulfilment performance. The relationship between AI recommendations and unpredictable demand is presented as Chapman’s view, not a quantified finding. The pace of adoption, and whether new channels will materially reshape supply chains, remains uncertain.
Retailers Watch Consumer Uptake
The survey points to consumer adoption as the next indicator to watch, particularly whether the 10% who said they were likely to use AI for online purchases in the next 12 months do so. Retailers and logistics providers will also be watching marketplace use, live-shopping participation and expectations around delivery times.
Paxon has not announced a specific operational change or timetable tied to the findings. The next evidence needed is follow-up data on actual purchasing behaviour and measurable effects on fulfilment. Until then, the survey offers a snapshot of current consumer responses rather than proof that an AI-powered shopping shift is already under way.
Key Questions
How many UK online shoppers had never used AI product recommendations?
62% of online shoppers in the survey said they had never used AI product recommendations. The survey included more than 2,000 UK adults aged 18 and over.
How many respondents frequently use AI shopping assistants?
3% of all respondents said they frequently use AI shopping assistants. The source does not provide a separate figure for frequent use among online shoppers alone.
Were consumers interested in shopping with smart glasses?
16% of online shoppers said they were likely to use smart glasses for shopping. The figure was higher among 18- to 24-year-olds, at 37%.
Does the survey show that AI is already disrupting retail supply chains?
No. The survey reports consumer experiences and intentions, but it does not measure changes in retailers’ order volumes, costs or fulfilment performance. The claim that AI could make demand harder to predict was made by Paxon UK CEO Wayne Chapman.
What did respondents say about delivery times and drones?
30% said they thought drone delivery would make it unacceptable to wait more than 24 hours for an online order. This records respondents’ views; it does not show that delivery expectations have already changed.
Source: rss
