AI reshapes the 2026 shopping season
Global AI-first cloud communications platform Infobip predicts more than 7.3bn customer interactions across Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026, as AI and conversational channels transform how consumers discover products, receive offers and access support.
New Infobip research also reveals that 63.2% of consumers have used an AI assistant or chatbot while shopping during the past 12 months.
AI is becoming a central part of that journey. According to the research, 63.2% of consumers have used an AI assistant or chatbot for shopping in the last 12 months, with 21.9% using one frequently.
Clear boundaries
Among consumers willing to use AI for shopping, 73.4% would use it to compare products and 67.8% would use it to find deals matching their preferences. However, the data also shows clear boundaries: consumers are more willing to let AI inform decisions than make decisions or handle complaints on their behalf.
Consumers selected email as the preferred channel for deals and updates globally, but SMS is chosen far more often for updates than offers, showing that retailers can build trust through transactional communications before expanding into promotional engagement.
Speed
Speed is also becoming a baseline expectation. Infobip’s survey found that 85% of consumers expect an order confirmation within five minutes, while 47% expect a support answer within five minutes.
For retailers, this means AI and automation are no longer only tools for efficiency; they are becoming essential to meeting customer expectations during high-volume periods.
“The winners will not be the brands that send the most messages, but those that understand when, where and how each customer wants to engage,” noted Goran Juršić, Chief Growth Officer, Infobip.
