NielsenIQ (NIQ) has reported that artificial intelligence is becoming a mainstream part of the U.S. shopping journey, with 51% of American consumers saying they used at least one AI-powered tool for shopping during the past month.

The findings come from NIQ’s Agentic Commerce Tracker and represent the first time the monthly research has recorded AI shopping adoption above the 50% mark. The data indicates that AI is increasingly influencing how consumers discover products, compare alternatives, assess value, and make purchasing decisions.

For brands and retailers, the shift could require changes to how products are presented and discovered online. As consumers increasingly rely on AI-generated recommendations and assistance, accurate product information, strong digital visibility, and well-structured product data are becoming increasingly important alongside traditional merchandising and search strategies.

AI Becomes Part of the Mainstream Shopping Journey

According to NIQ’s research, AI-powered product recommendations are currently the most common AI shopping application, with 20% of consumers reporting use.

Another 16% use AI-powered personal shopping assistants, highlighting the growing role of AI in providing individualized recommendations and helping shoppers make decisions.

NIQ said AI usage is not limited to one stage of the customer journey. Consumers are using AI across multiple stages, from discovering products and comparing choices to evaluating options and reaching a final purchase decision.

Adoption has also increased consistently over the last two quarters, suggesting that AI-assisted shopping is moving beyond early adopters and becoming part of ordinary consumer behavior.

Liz Buchanan, President of North America at NIQ, described the crossing of the 50% threshold as an important development for the retail industry. She said AI-assisted shopping has moved rapidly from an emerging behavior to a mainstream activity that is influencing how consumers find and assess products.

New Measurement Opportunities for Retailers

The latest findings follow NIQ's announcement that it plans to measure agentic commerce as a separate channel within its broader retail measurement offerings.

The company is expanding its measurement capabilities to help brands and retailers understand how AI is affecting areas such as category performance, brand discovery, and purchase conversion. These effects can be difficult to distinguish when measured alongside traditional retail and search activity.

NIQ believes the growing use of AI will require businesses to consider not only how effectively they reach consumers directly, but also how their products and brands are represented by the AI systems consumers increasingly use for research and recommendations.

Buchanan said the changing purchase journey is increasingly moving from a model centered on traditional search toward one influenced by AI-driven discovery.

What the Research Indicates

NIQ's latest data suggests that AI is not necessarily replacing conventional shopping methods. Instead, consumers are using AI to speed up decision-making, including comparing products, determining value, and narrowing down potential choices.

The research comes from NIQ's proprietary monthly Agentic Commerce Tracker, which monitors AI adoption and agentic commerce behavior among U.S. consumers. NIQ plans to continue publishing additional findings as the role of AI in commerce develops.