The study, which was conducted by product experience and information management company Akeneo shows AI agents are now the most trustworthy source for UK consumers alongside luxury retail brand websites.
The report titled 'Evolution of the Modern Shopper' surveyed 1,800 consumers across eight countries (including the UK) and was balanced by age and gender.
Over two thirds of UK consumers (67%) said they are putting their faith in AI-powered virtual agents, and 68% are putting their trust in luxury brand websites (68%) to check product details.
In contrast, 62% will check product details, 54% will check on resale platforms, and 50% will check on influencer content. The least reliable source, according to the study's recipients, is social media, with only 31% of shoppers calling it reliable.
Akeneo's CEO Romain Fouache explained: “Shoppers aren’t short on content; they’re short on clarity.
“Our research shows customers are actively seeking out the channels that give them confidence, and they’ll pay more when brands provide complete, trustworthy product information. The winners will be those that treat product data as a strategic asset and build a single, governed foundation that powers every experience, including AI.”
The report noted that poor product data continues to undermine the customer experience, and returns remain an expensive symptom of bad information.
Shoppers said they are willing to pay 25–30% more for products accompanied by high-quality information, which shows they place monetary value on clear content.
Fouache continued: “Whether it’s size and fit, sustainability credentials, compatibility, or care instructions, shoppers expect the full story, and they expect it to be consistent across web, store, marketplace and now AI assistants.
“That level of reliability doesn’t happen by accident. It requires clean, structured, enriched data that’s continuously governed and activated to every channel.”
The study advises brands and retailers to ensure AI systems read from a single source of truth to avoid incorrect answers that erode trust.
It added that 76% of shoppers engage with multiple touchpoints before purchase, so discrepancies between the website, store, marketplace listings and AI answers can create confusion and lead to abandoned baskets and returns.
Fouache described the research as a "wake-up call for brands and retailers that consumers follow the most reliable information, not the loudest channel.
“Brands and retailers that unify, govern and activate their product data can confidently power every experience, including AI, and turn trust into growth.”
