AI Tools Reshape Back-to-School Shopping for 61% of Families as Google and Amazon Gain Ground
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Sep 4
AI Tools Reshape Back-to-School Shopping for 61% of Families as Google and Amazon Gain Ground
2 articles · Updated · CNBC · Sep 4
Summary
61% of back-to-school shoppers used generative AI or other AI shopping tools this year to find deals, compare products and narrow purchases, according to the National Retail Federation.
That shift is moving consumers from simple product search to delegated decision-making, with shoppers using AI to summarize reviews, optimize timing and manage budgets; one user said buying earlier could save 20% to 30%.
Google and Amazon are best positioned to capture that behavior because they sit closest to the transaction: Gemini improved ad relevance by 20%, while Amazon's Alexa for Shopping can scan school lists, set price alerts and auto-buy items.
The payoff for retailers is growing: Envive said AI-assisted shoppers spend 30% to 40% more per order, and an Evercore survey found 57% of Alexa AI users bought products they had not previously considered.
The back-to-school season is emerging as an early test of agentic commerce, where AI tools increasingly handle discovery, comparison and checkout across retailers.