CI&T Releases "Retail Tech Reality Check" Report Highlighting AI's Growing Role in Consumer Shopping
CI&T (NYSE:CINT), a global technology transformation specialist, today announced the release of its new report, Retail Tech Reality Check, which examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting the way consumers shop. From where journeys begin to how people pay, what channels they trust, and the prices they expect, retail is undergoing a significant transformation.
The report highlights how people are adjusting their shopping behaviors in response to the rising accessibility of AI, increased price sensitivity, and more seamless social commerce experiences. Key findings from the report show that shoppers are returning to search engines to begin their path to purchase, increasingly open to using agentic AI for routine buys, yet remain cautious about biased recommendations. For retailers, this requires optimizing for search, building trust through transparency, and adopting dynamic pricing strategies that safeguard fairness and maintain credibility.
Key findings include:
- 58% of consumers think retailers should use AI to improve the shopping experience. Furthermore, nearly three-quarters of consumers are using AI tools, at least occasionally, in their path to purchase
- The "AI effect": the amount of consumers saying their shopping journey begins on a marketplace (29%) versus a search engine (26%) is just about equal now (compared to CI&T's research in 2021 that found marketplaces were twice as likely to be the first stop). This drastic change is likely due to the impact of AI - consumers are now widening their shopping search as they feel more confident in their ability to conduct the research required to find the best product
- 64% of respondents were interested in agentic AI after reading our definition (Agentic AI would mean that a digital assistant could order products for you in a category you choose based on your past purchase history as well as criteria you have set for it)
- 71% of consumers feel prices have gone up compared to a year ago, and 65% of consumers expect prices to go up further
"It's clear that although the average consumer isn't consistently using AI just yet to shop, there's an undeniable impact on purchase behaviors now that it's so accessible. With research as the first phase of the path to purchase, consumers trust in their abilities to find exactly what they're looking for, at the price they desire. We are entering an era where retailers' focus must be on leveraging technology to protect margins *while* accommodating such a sophisticated shopper," said Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy at CI&T.
The report is based on a survey fielded in August of 2025 of 1,040 U.S. consumers, roughly proportionate to the population.
View and access the full report here.
About CI&T
CI&T (NYSE:CINT) is a global technology transformation specialist for 100+ large enterprises and fast growth clients. CI&T brings a 30-year track record of helping clients navigate change to deliver accelerated business impact, with deep expertise across AI, strategy, customer experience, software development, cloud services, data and more. CI&T's proprietary AI platform, CI&T FLOW boosts team productivity, ensuring fast, efficient, and scalable delivery of world-class solutions. CI&T operates globally, supported by over 7,600 professionals across 10 countries.
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