AI adoption in retail: 25% of consumers rely on tech, Gen Z at the forefront

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to gain traction in consumer markets, with shopping emerging as its primary application. Twenty-six percent of consumers use generative AI tools for shopping, ahead of other uses such as managing health and wellness (22%), planning trips and family events (21%), or obtaining financial advice (18%).
According to the “State of the Consumer 2026” report by McKinsey & Company, there is a significant generational gap in AI usage. Generation Z is the group that has most fully integrated AI into the shopping process: 28% of those born between 1994 and 2010 say they use tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overview, or Gemini for shopping, compared to 16% of  baby boomers (1949–1968). Millennials, born between 1981 and 1993, stand at 27%, and Generation X (1969–1980) at 23%.