AI-driven expectations push 45% of UK shoppers toward returns
The MACH Alliance reported that 45% of UK shoppers say unrealistic AI-driven expectations would make them more likely to return a product. A majority of shoppers (56%) believe AI exaggerates what products will look like or do before they buy.
Over two-thirds of respondents (68%) said AI-generated product images often look too perfect to match the real item. In social commerce, AI directly influences 45% of spending. The same poll found that 41% of ecommerce purchases are shaped by AI agents.
“Connected ecosystems are how retailers close the AI expectations gap. When agents, data and best-of-breed technologies work together, what shoppers see during discovery is much closer to what arrives at their door,” Jason Cottrell, President of the MACH Alliance said.
The MACH Alliance, a global vendor-neutral body that sets standards for composable enterprise technology, surveyed over 1,000 UK shoppers about AI’s role in buying. It noted that without a connected tech ecosystem, retailers using AI to boost front-end conversions risk creating unrealistic expectations that lead to returns.
What we know
45% of UK shoppers say unrealistic expectations created by AI discovery would make them more likely to return a product.
56% of shoppers think AI overhypes their product expectations before they check out.
68% agree that AI imagery that looks too perfect often doesn’t reflect the reality of the product when it arrives.
45% of social commerce spend is shaped by AI.
41% of ecommerce purchases are influenced directly by agents.