34% of U.S. Consumers Open to AI-Powered Holiday Gift Recommendations, Gartner Finds
Event summary
- 34% of U.S. consumers are willing to use GenAI tools for holiday gift recommendations, per Gartner's August 2026 survey of 1,004 consumers.
- AI is supplementing, not replacing, traditional shopping discovery methods like retailer websites, searches, and wishlists.
- Consumers using AI for holiday shopping consult an average of 4.48 inspiration sources vs. 3.24 for non-AI users.
- 77% plan to shop in stores and 75% on Amazon, indicating physical and digital channels remain dominant.
The big picture
Gartner's findings highlight AI's emerging but complementary role in retail, as consumers layer AI tools onto existing shopping behaviors. This trend underscores the need for marketers to optimize product discovery across multiple channels, reflecting broader shifts toward more complex, multi-touchpoint consumer journeys. The data suggests AI is becoming a supplementary tool rather than a disruptive force in holiday shopping, aligning with broader industry trends of digital augmentation rather than replacement.
What we're watching
- AI Integration
- How retailers will adapt to AI's expanding role in fragmented shopping journeys.
- Channel Strategy
- Whether marketers can effectively distribute products across AI, search, and physical channels.
- Consumer Behavior
- The pace at which AI adoption accelerates beyond holiday shopping into everyday retail.
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