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AI Wire · 26 OCT 2026

BCG: 81% of US Shoppers Expect to Use AI Agents, Just 4% of Consumers Would Let One Buy

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19 to 26 Oct 2026
4%

of consumers surveyed would let an AI agent complete a purchase on its own, BCG reports, yet 81% of US consumers expect to use agents when shopping.

BCG's research covers 50 of the top 300 global retailers and 100 top brands. It says agent referrals were under 1% of website visits at leading European brands and retailers in late 2025 and could reach 5% by the end of 2026, and that the effect on traffic can be up to four times the referral count. Those projections are BCG's own.

The week in three lines

  1. Accenture surveyed 3,000 C-suite leaders: 53% expect measurable AI returns within 12 months, while only 15% redesign end-to-end processes and 25% report widespread, sustained value.
  2. BCG finds 81% of US consumers expect to use AI shopping agents, yet only 4% would let one finish a purchase, so the agent recommends and the shopper still buys. Forrester forecasts that one in 20 US and UK consumers will replace traditional shopping with conversations.
  3. An outside agent would judge a retailer on product data, price, availability, delivery and returns that it can read live, which would make stock and promise-date accuracy commercial inputs.

AI expectations, value and redesign (Accenture, 3,000 C-suite leaders)

Plan to increase AI investment75%
Expect measurable ROI within 12 months53%
Actively manage AI token costs41%
Report widespread, sustained value from AI25%
Redesign end-to-end processes15%

Retail and agentic commerce (BCG, 2026)

US consumers expecting to use AI agents when shopping81%
Retailers expecting significant or transformational effect within two years68%
Retailers who consider their marketplaces agent-ready18%
Consumers who would let an agent complete a purchase alone4%

The papers

Accenture Research19 Oct 2026Value gap

Accenture: 53% of leaders expect measurable AI returns within a year, but only 15% redesign end-to-end processes

Accenture surveyed 3,000 C-suite leaders and 3,000 non-C-suite employees in July and August 2026. 53% of leaders expect measurable AI returns within 12 months, while 15% redesign end-to-end processes and 25% report widespread, sustained value.

Why it matters

Accenture's figures suggest the 12-month return expectation is running ahead of process redesign: 53% expect measurable returns within a year, and 15% redesign end-to-end processes. Only 32% of employees say they received clear guidance on AI costs.

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BCG21 Oct 2026Supply chain

BCG: shoppers will let AI agents recommend but few will let them buy, and few marketplaces are ready

BCG surveyed 50 of the top 300 global retailers and 100 top brands. 81% of US consumers expect to use AI agents when shopping, only 4% would let one complete a purchase, and 18% of retailers consider their marketplaces ready for agents.

Why it matters

An outside agent would judge a retailer on live price, availability, delivery and returns, which would make stock and fulfilment data a commercial asset. BCG also warns that agent-routed demand is unlikely to stay free, citing online travel agencies, which take roughly 15% to 25% of each booking.

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Forrester23 Oct 2026Value gap

Forrester: in 2027, retailers chase share in a flat market and investors will back AI turnarounds

Forrester predicts near-zero real retail sales growth in the US and Europe and private equity funding of AI-powered turnarounds. The post is analyst opinion with no survey data.

Why it matters

Forrester doubts technology alone can fix years of underinvestment in merchandising, stores, inventory and operations. It advises pairing operational excellence with AI only where results can be measured.

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The playbookFree toolkit
Forrester23 Oct 2026Chatbots

Forrester: "post-click" commerce, as buyers' AI researches suppliers and compares terms

Forrester predicts one in 20 US and UK consumers will replace traditional shopping with conversations, and that one in 10 dollars will disappear from B2B selling budgets as buyer-controlled AI researches suppliers and compares terms. The post gives no supporting data.

Why it matters

If buyers' agents compare suppliers on specification, price and terms, those details need to be machine-readable, or the seller may not reach the shortlist.

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The playbookFree toolkit
Forrester21 Oct 2026Agent cost

Forrester, citing a summit source: tokens are 10% to 25% of total AI spend

Reporting on a Linux Foundation summit, Forrester cites a source saying tokens make up only 10% to 25% of total AI spend, and a study of 472 respondents in which 86% of companies are evaluating or using model routers.

Why it matters

A business case priced on tokens or licences understates the cost of infrastructure, software, labour and review time. The figures come from an event write-up, and the study's method isn't shown.

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Also published

What nobody is saying

Accenture and Gartner measure AI value differently, so their numbers can't be compared. Accenture says 25% of C-suite leaders report widespread and sustained value, while Gartner's headline says only 13% of CIOs report significant or transformational value. Respondents, thresholds and wording all differ, so an executive quoting a single share is choosing a definition.