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Shoptalk spring 2026: AI, trust and the future of commerce

Post by Angie Assennato | March 30, 2026

Shoptalk made one thing clear: Commerce isn’t being redefined by AI alone, it’s being reshaped by how consumers choose to use it. Across sessions from EMARKETER’s research on AI-powered shoppers to debates on agentic commerce, to discussions on AI visibility and optimization, a consistent theme emerged: 

 

  • AI is accelerating quickly. 
  • Consumer behavior is evolving more gradually.
  • And trust is sitting in between.

 

Here are the eight most important takeaways from Shoptalk 2026:

 

The future shopper is AI assisted, not AI driven

 

According to the debate: “AI agents will or will not transform retail,” the biggest shift is not autonomous agents replacing consumers. It’s the rise of the AI-assisted shopper.

 

Consumers are evolving into three groups:

  • Human led
  • AI assisted
  • Fully autonomous

A slide showing how an AI agent insinuates itself into the purchase journey when it comes to agentic commerce

 

The AI-assisted group is where the growth is happening. According to EMARKETER, 49% of consumers use AI as a research assistant, but only 14% use it as a decision maker. AI is already embedded in how people shop,  but it’s not replacing human judgment. 

 

Discovery is changing faster than purchasing behavior

 

AI is already reshaping how consumers discover and evaluate products. According to EMARKETER:

 

  • 17% of product searches now start with AI assistance, signaling a meaningful shift in how consumers begin their journey.
  • At the same time, 27% still rely on traditional search engines, reinforcing that this is an evolution, not a replacement. 

 

What’s emerging is a hybrid discovery model. Consumers are increasingly using AI to explore options, summarize information, and narrow choices, but they are not abandoning familiar behaviors altogether. 

 

At the same time:

  • 69% of purchases still happen on retailer websites.
  • Only ~10% happen directly through AI interfaces (native AI assistant or chatbots).

 

Bar chart showing where consumers begin their shopping discovery in the age of agentic commerce
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Source: EMARKETER

Bar chart showing where consumers actually make purchase when shopping, EMARKETER data

                                                                                                                                     Source: EMARKETER

This creates a clear shift:

“Influence is moving upstream, even if conversion is not.”

 

Trust is the biggest barrier to deeper adoption

 

Despite growing usage, trust remains the primary constraint. According to Consumer and Retail Group research presented at Shoptalk:

 

  • 80% of consumers express distrust in AI-driven outputs.

Additionally, according to EMARKETER’s research:

  • 60% validate AI recommendations with additional research.
  • 37% ask follow-up questions.
  • Only 23% act immediately. 

“Only about ⅓ of consumers say AI helps them buy faster.”- EMARKETER

 

Trust is also contextual: higher for known brands and low-risk purchases, but lower for high-consideration decisions. AI is influencing decisions, but is not yet closing sales.

 

The funnel isn’t disappearing, it’s compressing

 

There’s a strong narrative that AI will eliminate the traditional funnel. What most analysts and experts highlighted at Shoptalk is the compression of it:

 

AI accelerates research, comparison and option narrowing. But consumers still validate, cross-check and apply emotional judgment. In many cases, AI is actually extending the journey due to trust gaps. The funnel still exists; it’s just happening faster and earlier.

 

Agentic commerce will scale, but unevenly

 

The debate around AI agents made one thing clear: Adoption will vary by category. Where automation is more likely:

 

  • Routine purchases
  • Replenishment
  • Low risk decisions

 

Where it’s less likely to be used:

 

  • High-consideration purchases
  • Brand-driven categories
  • Experience-led shopping

 

According to Merkle’s Global Customer Research Q4 2025, 56% of consumers are open to automated purchasing for basic goods, and according to Deloitte Digital, up to 25% of digital commerce could shift to AI-driven channels over time. This is meaningful, but not universal. 

 

We are moving from search to recommendation

 

One of the most significant changes is how consumers interact with information. Consumers are no longer just searching; they are asking. Instead of navigating results, they expect answers and recommendations. This changes how visibility works:

 

  • Ranking becomes selection
  • Traffic becomes inclusion
  • Search becomes recommendation 

 

But more importantly, what drives visibility is changing. AI platforms don’t rely only on your website. They synthesize inputs across both:

 

  • On-site signals: product pages, structured data, technical content, reviews.
  • Off-site signals: marketplaces, social platforms, creator content and third-party validation sources. 

 

In this model, visibility is not longer just about optimizing for search, it’s about being understood, validated and selected across a broader ecosystem. 

 

AI is increasingly deciding what gets seen, and which brands get considered at all. 

 

AI visibility is becoming a competitive advantage

 

Sessions on AI optimization reinforced one critical point: If AI models cannot find or understand your brand, you are removed from the decision process.

 

Winning in this environment will require structured data, clear and contextual content, reviews and third-party validation, as well as a strong presence beyond owned channels.

 

AI systems rely heavily on external, authoritative signals when generating recommendations.

 

Commerce is becoming AI-mediated but still human-led

 

Looking ahead, the direction is clear:

 

According to Merkle, 77% of consumers expect brands to adapt to AI-driven behaviors, and more than half are open to AI automating routine purchases. This signals a structural shift:

 

The “buyer” is evolving from a single individual to a combination of human judgment and AI assistance.  In some cases, that AI layer may act independently. But in the near term, the model remains hybrid. 

 

How brands win where AI influences and humans decide

 

Shoptalk didn’t validate a fully automated future. It clarified something more important:

We are already operating a hybrid model.

 

  • AI is reshaping discovery.
  • Trust is slowing full automation.
  • And human behavior remains central to decision making. 

 

For brands, this creates a dual challenge: Step up where AI is influencing decisions, but also build trust where humans are still making them. The companies that will win won’t wait for full automation. They will adapt to how commerce is already changing.

Want to understand what the rise of agentic commerce means for your business?

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Angie Assennato

Angie Assennato

Angie Assennato is AVP of marketing for North America at Signifyd, where she leads demand generation, brand and growth strategy across mid-market, enterprise and strategic segments.  Angie attended Shoptalk 2026 to explore how AI, trust and shifting consumer behaviors are redefining ecommerce and how brands can adapt to stay competitive.