According to www.dcvelocity.com, a Ryder survey of 1,160 e-commerce shoppers found that 64% now use AI-assisted shopping tools to make buying decisions — up from prior years and marking a pivotal shift in consumer behavior.
AI Adoption Across Shopping Functions
Among those using AI tools, search and shopping assistants lead adoption at 45%, followed by customer review summaries or key takeaways (37%), visual or image-based search (33%), voice assistants (31%), and virtual try-on or visualization tools (31%). Ryder’s Jeff Wolpov, senior vice president of e-commerce and Ryder Last Mile, stated:
“Industry-wide data echoes our findings, reinforcing that AI is fundamentally changing online shopping behaviors; another study found that nearly three in five consumers have begun replacing traditional search engines with generative AI search.” — Jeff Wolpov, senior vice president of e-commerce and Ryder Last Mile
Shifting Price Sensitivity and Ethical Drivers
While price remains influential, its role declined year-over-year in key categories: apparel shoppers reduced price’s weight in purchase decisions by 12%, and beauty shoppers by 13% — the lowest level for beauty in three years. Meanwhile, factors like product materials and ingredients, environmental impact, and ethical practices collectively gained 13% influence among both groups, according to the report.
Omnichannel Fulfillment Preferences Evolve
Remote locker or location pickup usage jumped 14% year-over-year, surpassing Buy Online Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) and curbside as the leading alternative to ship-to-home. In addition, 86% of consumers reported picking up or returning online purchases in-store — up 3% year-over-year — and 52% of that group (representing 17% of all respondents year-over-year) said they often make additional purchases while there.
Rising Expectations for Speed and Returns
Fast delivery expectations nearly doubled: 39% now expect delivery within one to two days — a four-year high. Though free shipping remains the top purchase factor at 62%, its influence dropped 14% year-over-year. Meanwhile, 71% of shoppers abandoned carts due to unanticipated shipping fees, and 73% added items to qualify for free shipping — the highest rate since 2023.
Returns Management Impacts Loyalty
Returns significantly affect retention: 79% of respondents who had negative returns experiences stopped shopping with that brand again. Among them, 55% cited return shipping fees as the top complaint, and 52% said they refuse to buy from retailers without a free-return policy. Preference splits evenly: 52% prefer in-store returns, 48% prefer mail/drop box.
Source: DC Velocity
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
