How AI Is Changing Holiday Shopping in 2025

Holiday shopping is getting smarter. Literally. As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, shoppers are increasingly turning to them to find better deals, smarter recommendations, and last-minute gift ideas. A recent survey reveals just how many Americans are relying on AI to guide their spending this season and how much they're saving because of it.

From chatbots to coupon plug-ins, AI is making the shopping experience faster, easier, and more budget-friendly than ever.

Key Takeaways

  • 53% of Americans have used or plan to use AI tools or services for holiday shopping this year.

  • Nearly 7 in 10 Americans (69%) believe AI is more helpful for shopping compared to traditional methods, such as flyers and loyalty emails.

  • 35% of Americans claim AI tools have assisted them in finding promotion codes.

  • Saving money is the top reason why Americans use or plan to use AI tools this holiday season. On average, they estimate AI tools have helped them save $513 so far this season.

  • 53% of Americans have used or plan to use AI tools or services for holiday shopping this year, with Gen Z being the most likely to do so (60%).

  • Top 3 uses for AI tools or services this holiday season:

    • ChatGPT or another chatbot for gift ideas (52%)
    • Personalized recommendations from shopping platforms (43%)
    • Coupon plug-ins (41%)
  • 50% of Gen Z plans to use coupon plug-ins for holiday shopping.

  • Saving money is the top reason Americans use or plan to use AI tools this holiday season. On average, Americans estimate that AI tools have helped them save $513 so far this season.

  • Top categories shopped for using AI:

    • Tech/gadgets (60%)
    • Apparel and accessories (51%)
    • Food (44%)
  • Nearly 7 in 10 Americans (69%) believe AI is more helpful for shopping compared to traditional methods, such as flyers and loyalty emails.

  • 35% of Americans claim AI tools have assisted them in finding promotion codes.

Methodology

For this study, we surveyed 1,005 Americans about how AI assists their shopping experience. Among the respondents, 50% identified as female, 48% identified as male, and 2% identified as nonbinary or gender nonconforming. Generationally, 52% were millennials, 23% were Gen X, 19% were Gen Z, and 7% were baby boomers.

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about the author

Clay Cary
Senior Trends Analyst
As an e-commerce analyst at CouponFollow, Clay enjoys spending his time collaborating with brands to make helpful content for consumers and finding great deals to share on CouponFollow. As a recent college graduate, his primary focus is creating resources for consumers, especially students, to save money through online shopping and everyday life.