Retailers expect 79% of shoppers to use AI tools and shift budgets to cashback apps
On Sept. 16, Northwestern University’s Retail Analytics Council and Minty released a survey of 150 senior commerce decision‑makers showing that 79% expect their primary customers to use AI tools by 2027. Eighty‑one percent of participants said cashback and savings tools were the most helpful marketing channel for shoppers, outranking traditional ads, loyalty programs, retail media and creator marketing.
Ninety‑eight percent of the surveyed executives came from firms with annual revenue over $100 million. Two‑thirds of marketers said they believe AI will be the primary way to reach shoppers in 2027, while half are already marketing directly to AI agents. Among those targeting early‑stage AI shoppers, 61% have increased or reallocated budgets toward cashback and savings apps.
“This isn’t marketers tweaking a line item,” Frank Dudley, associate director of the Retail Analytics Council at Northwestern University said.
Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate Insights’ 2026 survey found that finding better deals was the top reason shoppers used AI tools. The current study shows AI platforms are increasingly shaping where and how customers shop online.
What we know
In their findings, published Sept. 16, analysts assessed that cashback apps, deal platforms and price-comparison tools have become the “most helpful” channels for shoppers when compared with traditional advertising, loyalty programs, retail media and creator marketing.
The responses in the report reflected perspectives from 150 senior commerce decision-makers at retailers, brand manufacturers and online marketplaces, according to Minty.
Among those participants, 98% of those providing answers came from companies whose annual revenue exceeded $100 million.
In the survey results, 79% of respondents indicated that they expect their primary customer base to be using AI tools in 2027.
Moreover, 81% of participants checked cashback and savings tools as the most helpful form of marketing they saw shoppers using to make purchase decisions.