Mostly younger ones. The Harris Poll found that 83% of Americans aged 18 to 34 plan to use AI for holiday shopping, compared with 40% of those 65 and older. The Harris Poll also found that 68% of the younger group have already found or bought from a new retailer because of an AI recommendation, against 13% of the older group. For a store, the first question is whether the assistants name it when those shoppers ask.
How many shoppers plan to use AI this holiday season?
Two out of three Americans, in one survey.
In a survey of more than 2,000 Americans for Forter, The Harris Poll found that 67% plan to use AI to help with holiday shopping this year. Among holiday shoppers, 37% expect to use it more than last year, according to The Harris Poll. Both figures describe plans, not purchases, and they come from people describing their own intentions.
Does age change how shoppers use AI?
Yes, and the gap is wide.
Among 18 to 34 year olds, 83% plan to use AI for holiday shopping, according to The Harris Poll. The Harris Poll puts the figure for Americans 65 and older at 40%. Cordial's holiday consumer survey points the same way: Cordial found that 54% of Millennials are at least somewhat likely to use AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude while holiday shopping, compared with 19% of Boomers.
The two surveys use different groups and questions, so their figures are not directly comparable. What they share is the direction: younger shoppers lead.
Which shoppers find new stores through AI?
The same younger group, by a large margin.
The Harris Poll found that 43% of Americans have already discovered or purchased from a retailer they had never shopped with before because of an AI recommendation. Among 18 to 34 year olds, The Harris Poll found that the figure is 68%. Among Americans 65 and older, The Harris Poll found that it is 13%.
For a store, this means the shoppers who use assistants most are also the ones who use them to find places they do not know yet.
What can go wrong when a younger shopper asks an assistant about your store?
You may not be named at all, or the details may be wrong.
If an assistant answers a shopping question with a short list of stores and yours is not on it, a shopper who is looking for something new has no reason to look further. If it names you with an old return window or a discontinued product, the shopper who checks finds the mismatch on your own page.
What should a store check this week?
Start with what assistants say today, then fix what they rely on.
- Step 1Write the questions a new customer would ask. For example the best store for a type of product, a gift idea for a type of buyer or where to find a certain item, all without your brand name in them.
- Step 2Ask several assistants. Put each question to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity in a fresh conversation.
- Step 3Record who is named. Note which stores each answer recommends, which it only mentions and whether yours appears.
- Step 4Compare the details with your own pages. Check prices, shipping, return windows and promotions in each answer against what your site says today.
- Step 5Note the sources behind the answers. Write down which pages and reviews the assistants cite when they name a store.
- Step 6Fix the pages, then ask again. Update your own pages and the public profiles the answers rely on, then repeat the same questions.
How does EntityRise measure what assistants say about a company?
EntityRise is an AI visibility audit for agencies and companies that shows how ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity describe and recommend a company and what to improve first.
Each audit asks up to 40 buyer questions: you mark 15 as high priority and they go to all five assistants, and up to 25 more are each asked on one assistant, for up to 100 answers kept with their sources. The AI Visibility Index weighs recommendation at 30%, mention at 20%, prominence at 20%, citation support at 15% and description accuracy at 15%, so it measures both whether you are named and whether what is said about you is right.
The result is a PDF report of around 40 pages with the analysis assistant by assistant, your main competitors compared area by area and an ordered list of what to improve. You can start the audit, and agencies can run it for clients under their own name.
Common questions
Which shoppers use AI to shop?
Younger ones most. The Harris Poll found that 83% of Americans aged 18 to 34 plan to use AI for holiday shopping, compared with 40% of those 65 and older.
Do shoppers find new stores through AI?
Many say they do. The Harris Poll found that 43% of Americans have discovered or purchased from a retailer they had never shopped with before because of an AI recommendation.
Does age change AI shopping habits?
Yes. Cordial found that 54% of Millennials are at least somewhat likely to use AI tools during holiday shopping, compared with 19% of Boomers.
Will more shoppers use AI this year than last year?
Some expect to. The Harris Poll found that 37% of holiday shoppers expect to use AI more than last year.
How do I check whether AI recommends my store?
Ask several assistants the questions your shoppers ask, without your brand name, record who is named, compare what is said about you with your own pages and fix the sources the answers rely on.
Sources
Kamil Kępiński · Founder of EntityRise and Smophy Labs Inc.
Kamil Kępiński is the founder of EntityRise and Smophy Labs Inc. He writes about how models choose the companies they recommend and how to measure a company's visibility in AI answers.
About the authorXLinkedInThe methodologycontact@entityrise.ai
See how AI assistants describe and recommend your company.
EntityRise is an AI visibility audit for agencies and companies that shows how ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity describe and recommend a company and what to improve first.
Run the audit · For agencies: discounted packs, every report under your own brand