AI shopping trends people actually use... and what it means for the content YOU create

... from generating gift ideas to finding the best deals

By

Megan Collins

, Cultural Anthropologist and Generational Expert

‘Tis the season to be shopping. It’s also the perfect time to talk about how our shopping behaviors are evolving thanks to technology. 

Of course there's the obvious: the traditional pilgrimage of bustling city sidewalks and heading to the mall for Black Friday deals has given way to the convenience of online shopping. E-commerce has revolutionized the way we procure presents, allowing us to browse stores virtually, compare prices effortlessly, and have gifts delivered to our doorsteps as soon as today (if you order in the next hour). 

And now that we’re seeing the business world fully embrace AI, expect more change this year. Many more brands are leveraging the technology to capture shoppers’ attention in an increasingly crowded and ever-challenging market. Content creators can also use AI to their advantage, especially to streamline their work in an inevitably busy time.

This time of year feels like AI’s time to shine, if used appropriately. As you’ll see below, not everyone does it right, and we should all learn from that. The lessons that come out of this holiday season will inform a lot of AI use in the digital strategy world in 2025 and beyond.

Before we get into the AI trends, though, context: there are some big picture variables that are making this holiday season an especially challenging one for brands.

• Economic uncertainty: By most accounts, holiday spending is expected to grow this year, but experts are also noting that increasingly price-conscious consumers are looking for deals. A survey from Experian found that the majority (56%) of consumers are stressed about their finances heading into the holiday season & 68% said economic inflation would impact their shopping. 

• Shortened season: Thanksgiving comes especially late this year, leaving 5 fewer shopping days before Christmas. However, consumers have also started their shopping earlier. According to Ipsos, 25% say they started shopping in October 2024 (vs. 19% in October 2023)

3 AI Shopping Trends for the 2024 Holiday Season (& Beyond) 

1. Idea Starters:
According to Statisa, 18% of consumers are planning to use AI to generate gift ideas. Some are attempting this on platforms like ChatGPT (to mixed results), and outlets like Amazon are debuting features like Amazon Rufus to achieve this. ⬇️

The rest of this post is for paid subscribers. Join us to read Megan’s list of AI trends to watch this shopping season, and what we can learn from them.

[Also! This is the 3rd article in our AI series with

Megan Collins

. Check our her previous pieces on the AI trends that people are actually using on socials and Google’s role in the AI landscape].