Study finds growing consumer trust in automated shopping, price comparisons and personalised purchases.
Dubai: AI shopping assistants are still in their early stages, but research by Checkout.com and Visa suggests that many UAE consumers are already open to allowing AI to manage parts of their daily shopping.
1. AI to become your personal shopper
Instead of scrolling through dozens of websites, AI assistants could compare products, prices, and reviews before recommending the best option.
Checkout.com’s Agentic Commerce 2026: The State of Consumer Demand and Merchant Readiness report found that 64% of UAE consumers would trust an AI shopping assistant more than members of their own family when it comes to making shopping decisions.
2. Easily finding clothes that fit your style
Online fashion shopping could become far less of a guessing game. The same Checkout.com research found that 64% of UAE consumers believe an AI shopping assistant would choose clothes that suit them better than they could themselves.
3. AI shopping around for better deals automatically
Instead of sticking with preferred brands, future AI assistants could compare prices and switch to cheaper or better-value alternatives—if given permission. Checkout.com found that 71% of UAE shoppers would allow an AI shopping assistant to substitute products or change preferred brands if it identified a better deal.
4. Buying concert tickets before they sell out
Long online queues for concerts, sporting events, and festivals could soon become easier to navigate. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of UAE consumers said they would use an AI shopping assistant to secure event tickets on their behalf.
5. Repeat shopping without revisiting stores
From household essentials to groceries and personal care products, AI assistants could eventually reorder items automatically without users needing to revisit online stores. Reflecting growing confidence in the technology, 62% of UAE consumers said they would be comfortable allowing AI to make purchases on their behalf without informing others.
Keep in mind
1. You’ll need to decide how much data to share
More personalised recommendations typically require greater access to personal information. Checkout.com’s research found that 24% of UAE consumers would be willing to share details such as salary, disposable income, and real-time bank balances with an AI shopping assistant, while 19% would also allow access to their personal calendars.
2. Mistakes may not always be your responsibility
If an AI assistant orders the wrong product or makes an unexpected purchase, responsibility for resolving the issue may not always be clear. Checkout.com’s report found that 17% of UAE consumers believe payment providers, banks, or card issuers should be primarily responsible for correcting AI-driven shopping errors and processing refunds.
3. Parents will need to pay closer attention
As children gain greater access to digital payments, AI-powered shopping could introduce new online safety challenges. Visa’s 2026 Stay Secure study found that 80% of UAE consumers believe children struggle to recognise online scams, while 67% have already seen a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online. The study also found that one-third of UAE parents say their children already have access to mobile payment apps or digital wallets.
