A shopper asks an AI assistant to find a wool coat under $200, made with traceable fibers, that ships before Friday. The agent compares options, checks specifications and recommends a few coats that fit the request.

Earning a place among AI recommendations is becoming an important priority for retailers. But brands also have an opportunity to influence what shoppers want before they begin searching. An image, an idea or an unexpected discovery can inspire someone to imagine a product in their own life and consider a purchase they hadn't planned.

“Commerce is moving upstream, into the moments when people are still figuring out what they want,” says Abhay Singhal, co-founder of InMobi and CEO of InMobi Advertising. “Sometimes that starts with a search, but often it starts with seeing something that feels right, imagining it on yourself or picturing how it might fit into your life.”

As retailers may not expect, Millennials lead daily use of AI tools for shopping research at 39%, nearly double Gen Z’s 21%, and more than half of U.S. consumers now use AI to find and compare products, Pacvue reports.

AI shopping agents work by narrowing — asking clarifying questions, then building a shortlist of products that fit the shopper’s preferences. Once several products clear those filters, the agent still needs a reason to pick one. A product described in the same category language as its competitors becomes interchangeable. The distinctiveness that shapes brand positioning also gives an agent a reason to choose you and the shopper a reason to care.

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