London, UK — As AI use extends across greater parts of consumers’ buying journeys, expectations set by AI within search and discovery could risk creating a new wave of retail returns, new data from the MACH Alliance, the global, vendor-neutral industry body that sets the standards for open, composable and connected agentic enterprise, reveals.
Original research of over 1,000 UK consumers by the MACH Alliance showed that, without a connected tech ecosystem in place, retailers deploying AI to drive conversions on the front end could risk creating unrealistic product expectations that drive returns.
Its poll revealed that 42% of shoppers’ digital spend is already influenced by AI search, rising to almost half (48%) of Millennials’ purchases, while 41% of ecommerce purchases are influenced directly by agents. The role of AI is even more influential in social commerce spend, with AI having a direct role in shaping 45% of spending.
However, even as AI plays a greater role in driving discoverability and conversions, over half (56%) of shoppers think AI overhypes their product expectations before they check out. Six in ten say AI creates unrealistic beliefs about how products will look, fit or perform, while 44% feel AI sets their expectations too high before they buy, leaving them disappointed when the item arrives, increasing to almost half (47%) of Gen Z.
Over two-thirds (68%) agree that AI imagery that looks too perfect often doesn’t reflect the reality of the product when it arrives. Meanwhile a further 60% think AI-generated styling or visualisations actually make it more difficult to imagine how products will look in real life, creating an AI expectations gap.
And this risks causing a new wave of returns, with 45% saying unrealistic expectations created by AI discovery would make them more likely to return a product. Over half (53%) of Gen Z think AI makes them more likely to return products, while 51% said using AI increases the likelihood that they will experience buyer’s remorse post-purchase.
“AI is already driving real gains in discovery, inspiration and conversion. Retailers also need to recognise it can come with an unintended consequence: returns,” said Jason Cottrell, President of the MACH Alliance. “When the product that arrives doesn’t live up to what AI promised, that sale quickly becomes a return.”
“Good outcomes for customers and businesses don’t come from AI and agents working in isolation,” Cottrell continued. “Agents need to be grounded in accurate, real-time product information and connected to the wider commerce ecosystem, from inventory and availability to fulfilment and post-purchase. No single vendor or agent can solve for every part of that journey.”
“Connected ecosystems are how retailers close the AI expectations gap. When agents, data and best-of-breed technologies work together, what shoppers see during discovery is much closer to what arrives at their door,” he concluded.