Compiled from 18 studies · Current as of July 2026 · Sourced via The Agile Brand Guide Research
Consumer behavior in 2026 is being rewired by AI — how people shop, pay, and decide who to trust. Below are 74 consumer behavior statistics for 2026, drawn from 18 studies published in 2025 and 2026 and grouped by theme so you can find the number you need fast.
Every statistic links to its source in The Agile Brand Guide Research database, where you can see the full context, the original report, and an embeddable chart. Use them to benchmark your audience, sharpen positioning, or ground your next strategy deck.
Jump to a sectionAI shopping & discovery (10)AI in payments & money management (13)AI advertising & trust in AI (11)Brand trust, loyalty & connection (10)Gen Z & generational shifts (11)Pricing, value & affordability (8)Retail experience & operations (11)
Key statistics at a glance
- 39% of U.S. consumers used AI for at least one payment-related activity in the three months prior to April 2026 — PYMNTS, 2026
- 82% found AI assistant ads at least as trustworthy as Google Search ads — Zappi, 2026
- 61% of respondents claim one negative website incident is enough to alter their trust in a brand — Liferay, 2026
- 37% of Gen Z individuals turn to TikTok first for entertainment, pop culture, and local experiences. — Harris Poll, 2026
- Personal Connection explains over 50% of the variance in overall brand equity among Gen Z. — BERA, 2026
- 84% of consumers plan to participate in Prime Day shopping — Akeneo, 2026
AI shopping & discovery (10 stats)
Shoppers are handing more of the research and decision-making over to AI assistants.
- 84% of consumers plan to participate in Prime Day shopping — Akeneo, 2026
- 74% report that the current economic climate directly impacts their Prime Day plans — Akeneo, 2026
- 55% of consumers plan to shop across multiple retailers to secure the best deals — Akeneo, 2026
- 91% of consumers do not trust deals without first verifying them — Akeneo, 2026
- 43% of consumers have used AI tools to assist with shopping and 22% have purchased a product based on an AI recommendation — Akeneo, 2026
- 36% of AI shoppers report reduced time spent on product research due to AI-assisted shopping. — Zeta Global, 2026
- 95% of AI shoppers cross-check AI recommendations before making a purchase. — Zeta Global, 2026
- 44% of AI shoppers have encountered inaccurate AI-generated shopping information. — Zeta Global, 2026
- 41% of younger consumers are willing to let AI make purchases within a set budget, compared to 27% of older consumers. — Zeta Global, 2026
- 47% of younger consumers always fact-check AI information before buying, versus 26% of consumers over 45. — Zeta Global, 2026
AI in payments & money management (13 stats)
AI is moving into checkout and personal finance, and consumers want guardrails with it.
- 39% of U.S. consumers used AI for at least one payment-related activity in the three months prior to April 2026 — PYMNTS, 2026
- 67% of Generation Z respondents used AI for payment-related activities — PYMNTS, 2026
- 24% of consumers cited selection of the most affordable option as the paramount parameter for AI-driven Pay Later — PYMNTS, 2026
- 24% of consumers demand explicit user approval before any AI-recommended Pay Later plan is finalized — PYMNTS, 2026
- 59% of consumers said it is very or extremely important that an AI-driven Pay Later option does not negatively affect their credit score — PYMNTS, 2026
- 55% of consumers desire more self-checkout options by 2025 — NMI, 2026
- 81% of consumers find it important for retailers to offer diverse payment methods — NMI, 2026
- 71% of consumers desire increased security and fraud protection from payment technology — NMI, 2026
- 87% of consumers are more likely to shop with a retailer that offers instant rewards — NMI, 2026
- 44% of consumers anticipate using digital wallets more frequently in 2025 — NMI, 2026
- 78% of Americans believe they could improve their financial knowledge with the right education tools — Cleo AI, 2026
- Adults aged 28 to 34 save an average of $220 per month, while those aged 35 to 40 save $165 — Cleo AI, 2026
- Residents of Maine save over 350% more per month than those in North Dakota — Cleo AI, 2026
AI advertising & trust in AI (11 stats)
Consumers are surprisingly open to AI-made ads — when they’re relevant and disclosed.
- 82% found AI assistant ads at least as trustworthy as Google Search ads — Zappi, 2026
- 42% of 18-34-year-olds extend more trust to AI ads than to Google Search ads — Zappi, 2026
- 40% of early adopters indicated they would pay for an ad-free version or switch to a different AI assistant if ads were introduced — Zappi, 2026
- 35% of paying users expressed a willingness to escape ads, more than double the 17% among free users — Zappi, 2026
- Five distinct contexts account for over 70% of consumer concern regarding ad placement — Zappi, 2026
- 51% of respondents disagree that they are enthusiastic about a future shaped by generative AI — Meltwater, 2026
- 73% of respondents expressed concern that AI could be used to create fake news or scams — Meltwater, 2026
- 86% of respondents believe it is important for content to explicitly state when generative AI has been used — Meltwater, 2026
- 83% of ad executives now utilize AI in the creative process — IAB, 2026
- Only 45% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers feel positive about AI-generated ads — IAB, 2026
- 89% of advertisers using generative AI for ads disclose at least sometimes — IAB, 2026
Brand trust, loyalty & connection (10 stats)
Emotional connection, not utility, increasingly explains brand equity and loyalty.
- Personal Connection explains over 50% of the variance in overall brand equity among Gen Z. — BERA, 2026
- In finance, banking, and digital wallet categories, Personal Connection accounts for more than 75% of the variance in equity. — BERA, 2026
- PayPal has the strongest Personal Connection score among Gen Z compared to other digital wallets. — BERA, 2026
- Over half of Gen Z consumers now use physical cash only as a last resort. — BERA, 2026
- Nearly one in three Gen Z consumers describe cash users as ‘out of touch.’ — BERA, 2026
- 82% of young professionals already use AI at work — The Harris Poll, 2025
- 65% of Gen Z experience fear of being obsolete due to AI advancements — The Harris Poll, 2025
- 80% of consumers believe Instagram fosters a ‘copy-and-paste effect’ in luxury travel — The Harris Poll, 2025
- 81% of Americans now require three backup plans for success — The Harris Poll, 2025
- 76% of young professionals prioritize stability over tech or startup jobs — The Harris Poll, 2025
Gen Z & generational shifts (11 stats)
Gen Z’s platform habits and AI fluency are pulling brand behavior in new directions.
- 46% of women aged 55-75 feel advertising is less relevant as they age — Zappi, 2026
- 45% of women reported changing their spending behavior due to irrelevant advertising — Zappi, 2026
- Only 1 in 10 women believe brands genuinely speak to them — Zappi, 2026
- 37% of Gen Z individuals turn to TikTok first for entertainment, pop culture, and local experiences. — Harris Poll, 2026
- 79% of Gen Z TikTok users report missing the ‘early days’ of the platform. — Harris Poll, 2026
- 43% find TikTok mentally draining, and 40% find it overwhelming. — Harris Poll, 2026
- 62% of Gen Z use TikTok to discover new products, but 63% have stopped buying through TikTok Shop. — Harris Poll, 2026
- 34% of Gen Z social media users primarily ‘lurk,’ rarely posting or engaging. — Harris Poll, 2026
- 65% of Gen Z homeowners expect to use AI for understanding their home insurance policies in 2026. — Hippo, 2026
- 54% of homeowners use AI to check if they are paying a fair price for insurance. — Hippo, 2026
- 86% of Gen Z homeowners plan to prepare for home emergencies and extreme weather events in 2026. — Hippo, 2026
Pricing, value & affordability (8 stats)
Price sensitivity is high, and shoppers reward brands that communicate value clearly.
- 51% of CPG executives acknowledge they cannot rely on price increases for revenue growth in 2025 — Zappi, 2026
- 64% of consumers negatively compare current prices to 2019 levels — Zappi, 2026
- 60% of global consumers now consider private-label quality equal to or better than national brands — Zappi, 2026
- 93% of consumers are actively changing how they shop for groceries — Zappi, 2026
- 62% of consumers cite cost as the primary barrier to healthier eating — Zappi, 2026
- 71% of shoppers named lower prices as the #1 retailer investment — RetailNext, 2026
- 45.7% of consumers cite inflation and cost of living as the primary macro factor influencing shopping — RetailNext, 2026
- 33.9% of shoppers said unfair or unpredictable pricing was the leading cause they stopped buying from a retailer — RetailNext, 2026
Retail experience & operations (11 stats)
Reliability, availability, and timing quietly decide whether shoppers convert or churn.
- Retail waste is estimated at 931 million tonnes annually, with 13% originating from retail. — Management Science, 2026
- Optimizing display and discounting strategies can yield an average profit increase of 6.01%. — Management Science, 2026
- Implementing strategic management can decrease waste by 21.24% — Management Science, 2026
- 61% of respondents claim one negative website incident is enough to alter their trust in a brand — Liferay, 2026
- 75% of respondents stated they would switch to a competitor if a website feels unsafe — Liferay, 2026
- 40% immediately question a website’s safety when it looks or acts strangely — Liferay, 2026
- 39% of respondents cited Web browser security warnings as a significant deterrent — Liferay, 2026
- 58% of Baby Boomers exit immediately when encountering website issues — Liferay, 2026
- Consumer interest in holiday shopping peaks 10 to 13 days earlier each year. — Gourmet Gift Baskets, 2025
- Search interest for ‘Gifts for kids’ peaks in mid-November, ahead of major promotional events. — Gourmet Gift Baskets, 2025
- New York has the highest average interest score at 89.8 for holiday gift searches. — Gourmet Gift Baskets, 2025
Frequently asked questions
Are consumers actually using AI to shop?
Increasingly, yes. 36% of AI shoppers report spending less time on product research, 84% of consumers plan to participate in Prime Day with AI increasingly guiding purchases, and 39% of U.S. consumers have already used AI for at least one payment-related activity. Adoption is fastest among younger and higher-income shoppers.
Do consumers trust AI-generated advertising?
More than many expect. 82% of consumers found AI assistant ads at least as trustworthy as Google Search results, and 83% of ad executives now use AI in the creative process. Trust is conditional, though — relevance and clear disclosure of AI use are what keep consumers comfortable.
What drives brand loyalty in 2026?
Emotional connection is now the bigger lever. Personal connection explains over 50% of the variance in overall brand equity — outweighing pure utility. And the downside is steep: 61% of consumers say a single negative website experience is enough to stop them buying from a brand.
How is Gen Z’s consumer behavior different?
Gen Z leads on both platforms and AI. 37% turn to TikTok first for entertainment, and younger consumers are the earliest adopters of AI for shopping, payments, and even big purchases — 65% of Gen Z homeowners expect to use AI to understand their home. They also demand more price transparency than older cohorts.
How price-sensitive are consumers right now?
Very. 71% of shoppers name lower prices as the number-one retailer investment they want, and a majority of CPG executives admit they can no longer rely on price increases to drive growth. Clear value communication, not just discounting, is what moves these shoppers.
Go deeper with the research
Every statistic here comes from The Agile Brand Guide Research database — a curated library of corporate-funded research on AI, marketing, customer experience, and consumer behavior, each study summarized with quotable statistics, key takeaways, and embeddable charts.Explore the Consumer Behavior research →
About this data: These 74 statistics were compiled from 18 research reports published in 2025–2026 and indexed in The Agile Brand Guide Research database. Each figure links to its source summary and original report. Counts are current as of July 2026 and are refreshed as new research is added.
