Consumers want AI product discovery, but still trust marketplaces to complete the purchase
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Editorial TeamPublished on
New PSE Consulting research shows consumers prefer independent AI assistants for product discovery, while still relying on marketplaces to complete purchases.
Consumers are increasingly turning to AI product discovery to compare options, search across merchants and make better-informed shopping decisions. However, new research from PSE Consulting suggests that while AI may become more influential at the discovery stage, shoppers still expect marketplaces and established platforms to play a central role when it comes to completing transactions.
The study, conducted among 4,250 consumers in the UK, US, France and Germany who use AI for online shopping, found that shoppers prefer independent AI assistants for product discovery and comparison. At the same time, they continue to rely on recognised marketplaces and platforms for payments, fulfilment, logistics and post-purchase support.
Independent AI Assistants Lead the Discovery Stage
According to the research, 74% of consumers prefer an independent AI assistant for online shopping. This includes universal AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and similar assistants that work across multiple platforms and providers, as well as specialist AI assistants focused on specific categories such as travel, finance or healthcare.
Among respondents, 41% said they prefer a universal AI assistant, while 33% favour a specialist AI assistant. By contrast, only 10% said they want their AI shopping assistant to be embedded directly within a retail, travel or delivery platform.
This points to a clear consumer preference: when it comes to AI product discovery, shoppers value independence. They want tools that can search and compare across multiple sellers and providers, rather than being limited to one commercial ecosystem.
Price Comparison Is a Key Driver of AI-Assisted Shopping
PSE Consulting’s research also found that price is the biggest driver of AI-assisted shopping. Consumers are primarily using AI to compare offers across multiple merchants, rather than relying on a single retailer or platform.
This makes independent AI assistants well suited to the early stages of the shopping journey. AI product discovery allows consumers to explore the wider market, compare prices and identify relevant options before deciding where to complete the purchase.
The findings suggest that platform-embedded AI may be more useful later in the purchase funnel. Once consumers have narrowed down their choices, marketplace or merchant AI tools can help them refine options, evaluate products, personalise recommendations and complete transactions.
Marketplaces Remain the Trusted Execution Layer
Although consumers are adopting AI product discovery, they do not expect AI assistants to replace marketplaces. Around 90% of consumers said they expect their use of retail marketplaces and travel platforms to stay the same or increase as AI adoption grows. Similarly, 88% said the same for food delivery platforms.
Only one in ten consumers expect to reduce their use of retail and travel marketplaces, rising slightly to 12% for food delivery platforms.
This suggests that while AI may influence what consumers discover and compare, marketplaces remain important for execution. Consumers continue to value trusted platforms for payments, fulfilment, logistics, customer service and post-purchase support.
Discovery and Execution Are Becoming Separate Stages
The research challenges the idea that agentic AI will make marketplaces less relevant. Instead, it suggests that consumers increasingly separate discovery from execution.
Chris Jones, Managing Director at PSE Consulting, said the findings show that consumers want AI to help them navigate choice across the internet, but still rely on established brands when it comes to operational trust.
This distinction is important for merchants and platforms. If AI product discovery becomes the first step in the shopping journey, then the competitive battleground may move further upstream. Brands will need to consider how their products and services are surfaced by AI assistants before consumers enter a marketplace environment.
Platform AI Still Has a Role to Play
The findings do not suggest that marketplace or platform-embedded AI will disappear. Instead, PSE Consulting’s research points to a complementary role for platform AI.
Independent AI assistants may become the preferred discovery layer, helping consumers search and compare across multiple ecosystems. Marketplace AI, meanwhile, can support consumers further down the funnel by helping with product evaluation, personalisation and transaction completion.
Rather than replacing marketplaces, AI product discovery appears likely to reshape how consumers arrive at them. Marketplaces may remain the trusted destination for completing purchases, while independent AI agents increasingly influence what consumers consider before they buy.
What This Means for Ecommerce
For ecommerce businesses, the message is clear: AI product discovery is becoming an important part of the online shopping journey. Consumers want independent AI tools to help them compare options, especially when price is a key consideration.
However, trust still matters at the point of purchase. Marketplaces and established platforms continue to play a critical role in payment, fulfilment and post-purchase support.
As AI adoption grows, merchants and platforms will need to think carefully about both stages of the journey. Visibility in AI-driven discovery may become increasingly important, but so will the ability to deliver a reliable and trusted transaction experience once the consumer is ready to buy.
