UK consumers are increasingly buying products that AI recommends, however, most actually complete the purchase through a separate search, a brand or retailer site, or even a physical store, rather than through the AI tool itself.
That is according to a new study by Impact.com, a worldwide network that provides the tools for brands to manage, track, and pay their global partners for driving sales.
The research, which quizzed 967 AI-active UK consumers in May 2026, details how AI is shaping the products people consider before they reach a brand or retailer website.
It found that half (50%) of all AI-active UK consumers begin their product search with an AI-generated response, compared with 28% who start with traditional search results; about a third begin on a standalone AI platform, while roughly one in six enter an AI Overview within a search engine.
In fact, some 70% of AI-active consumers said an AI tool had played a role in their online shopping decisions at least sometimes. And 72% said they sometimes, usually or always click through from an AI tool to a brand or retailer website before making a final decision.
A further 4% said they never use the AI’s embedded link, instead starting a new search manually on a brand or retailer website. In those cases, AI’s earlier influence may be harder for brands to attribute.
Asked why they start a product search with AI, 57% cited getting a direct answer instead of a list of links, while 47% said AI better understands their specific needs.
Asked how a personalised AI shopping agent would fit into their habits, 41% of respondents said they would use it as a secondary research tool before checking the options themselves. Another 27% said it would replace most of their current search methods.
Willingness to let AI complete a purchase depends on the product. Some 64% would trust AI to choose and buy an item without their approval in at least one of the categories listed, while 36% would not allow it to do so in any.
Groceries and household products attracted the most trust (22% of all respondents), followed by electronics and technology (17%).
Age made a difference too. Half (50%) of Baby Boomers and a similar proportion (49%) of Gen X would not trust AI to buy in any listed category without their approval, compared with 28% of Gen Z and 31% of Millennials.
Impact.com UK and DACH country manager Anthony Clements said: “People may reach a brand’s website with a shortlist already shaped by AI. If they find the site through a separate search, that earlier influence is easy to miss. Brands need to know where shoppers are getting recommendations and how those recommendations affect what they buy.”
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