Consumers increasingly tap agentic AI to shop, but brand trust remains strongest in physical stores. Quad/Graphics, a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, and The Harris Poll today announced the results of a new national survey revealing widespread consumer distrust for sponsored results in agentic AI shopping platforms.

The new rules of retail trust in the age of AI survey, a continuation of the 2025 “Return of Touch” report, indicates that price-conscious consumers are using AI for convenience and to reduce uncertainty in a rapidly changing shopping landscape but still have concerns about trust and data transparency. According to the research, shoppers continue to have high confidence in in-store experiences, especially regarding item quality and pricing.

The ‘Agentic AI Frontline. Real leaders. Real results’ report explores how enterprises are moving beyond AI pilots to deploy Agentic AI in production and achieve measurable CX and operational gains. Drawing on research from large organizations across North America and Europe, the report shows how early adopters are delivering faster deployment, higher containment, lower cost per contact, and improved CSAT by redesigning customer service around goal-driven, autonomous AI. It combines real-world frontline insights with a practical roadmap for scaling AI-first CX at enterprise level.

Attracting and retaining consumer attention has never been more challenging. Technology has changed rapidly over the last few decades, giving rise to new communication methods and consumer expectations for instant gratification. As AI becomes more business-critical and digital fatigue heightens among consumers, retailers’ AI roadmaps must present value to shoppers, address their priorities and foster loyalty long-term.

Effortless communication is the backbone of today’s leading businesses, especially in industries like e-commerce and retail. Customers expect quick, personalized interactions that fit their needs and, more importantly, their preferences and busy schedules. That’s where omnichannel messaging comes in—a game-changer for businesses looking to nurture meaningful customer relationships, solve queries faster, and deliver exceptional experiences across all touchpoints.

For a long time, “second-hand” sat in a different mental box to “retail”. It was charity shops, car-boot bargains and the occasional vintage find. Today, it’s one of the most dynamic parts of fashion commerce – and it’s happening largely online, with a customer experience that increasingly feels as slick as buying new.

The headlines make the point clearly. Vinted is now the third-largest fashion retailer in the UK by customer numbers, behind Primark and Next – and in a move that signals how strategically important the space has become, eBay has agreed to acquire Depop from Etsy for around $1.2bn, bringing a distinctly Gen Z resale community into eBay’s orbit. The move underlines that scale players believe resale has headroom to grow beyond the ~€5bn of market value spent on online second-hand fashion today in the UK.

Generation Alpha may be young but their impact on how retail evolves is becoming increasingly clear. They are the first cohort to be raised in a world shaped by AI-intuitive technology and always-on connectivity, which means their expectations around speed, simplicity and privacy are being formed long before they enter the economy in their own right. 

 As a result, this group is shaping how families discover brands and make purchasing decisions and – by default – are already influencing what a modern retail experience is expected to feel like.

Demographic questions cover age, gender, race, income, education, and more to better understand respondent diversity. Every response in a survey has a voice behind it. Demographic data helps researchers understand who those voices represent. From age and income to gender identity and education, demographic survey questions create the context that makes insights more meaningful. They help identify how different groups behave, what motivates them, and how buying power shifts across populations.

As AI-powered assistants increasingly guide shoppers from discovery to purchase, the experience itself is being reshaped. It’s faster, more conversational, and often more helpful. But it’s also increasingly removed from the retailer. Retail customer experience has always been about understanding people, be it their needs, their preferences or their intentions in the retail space. This is vital because it informs customized and authentic responses that build trust over time.