6 ways AI can upgrade your holiday shopping this season

Despite trade uncertainty, inflation and the government shutdown, the National Retail Federation anticipates sales in the 2025 holiday season will hit $1 trillion for the first time ever.

But a different forecast shows average consumer spend is expected to drop 10% from 2024. That’s according to professional services firm Deloitte, which found consumers are bracing for higher prices this season — and a weaker economy in 2026.

One technological development could help consumers tackle their holiday shopping lists. Artificial intelligence, which has so far assisted us by answering questions, making plans and even picking lottery numbers, is increasingly helping consumers shop. In fact, software company Adobe predicted AI traffic to retail sites Nov. 1-Dec. 31 will be six times higher than last year.

That’s because shoppers are turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity, as well as features like AI Mode in Google Chrome, to research products, compare prices and more.

“We’re seeing consumers really getting that peace of mind that they didn’t have to open up multiple browser windows and say, ‘OK, where’s this price at? Where’s that price at?’” said Vivek Pandya, director of Adobe Digital Insights. “It’s a much more seamless experience … around what the consumer is looking for.”

While there are limitations — retail analyst Kiri Masters noted chatbots still aren’t a viable alternative for knocking out everything on your list in one fell swoop — they offer multiple advantages this holiday season. Here’s a closer look at how you can tap into AI for your best holiday yet.

Pick your chatbot

Experts agree most AI assistants have similar functionality — at least in this context. Similar to whether you like Chrome, Firefox or DuckDuckGo as a web browser, the chatbot you use really boils down to personal preference.

David Schweidel, professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, noted Gemini “has access to all of the knowledge that Google has … and so it is possible you’re going to see Gemini align more with what a search engine would typically give you,” so it may be a good place to start.

You can also try out Amazon’s Rufus or Walmart’s Sparky, but their guidance will be specific to those retailers.

Zero in on the best deals

If your goal is to find a gift like the Nintendo Switch 2 or the Lego Willy Wonka set at the best possible price, AI may have an answer for you.

Chatbots have an uncanny ability to digest information from all over the internet — and that includes cost.

“Generative AI platforms are looking at the social conversation. They’re seeing what prices look like across many retailers … and also looking at things like listicles, like the top five toasters under $100,” Pandya said. “They’re very much taking all that information in and triangulating it and giving the user a really sophisticated response in terms of what they’re looking for.”

Beyond identifying the lowest price, AI assistants can help find valid promo codes.

“If you use something like (deals site) RetailMeNot, half those coupons won’t work, and you’ve got to go through each one, testing them,” Schweidel said. “That’s something an agent can do for you until it finds one that works.”

They can also track prices — and notify you when a desired product hits a certain threshold. Google recently announced this functionality as part of a broader AI shopping update.

“You can set limits, like, ‘I want to buy this sweater once it reaches $90,’” Masters said. “This is perfect for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.”

You can also lean on chatbots as part of a broader strategy to stay within your budget.

“One thing I’ve found very helpful is to be explicit with the gen AI and say, ‘These are the 10 people (I’m shopping for).’ And then you can also say, ‘Help me stretch my budget,’” said Arun Rai, a professor at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.

Compare products

If you want to buy something like a blender or a drill but aren’t sure about the brand or model, chatbots can help here, too.

Much like they do with prices, AI assistants can aggregate reviews from across the internet, so you don’t have to read through them, site by site. They can highlight product strengths and weaknesses, as well as provide overall summaries. Some can generate comparison charts to help you decide.

“They can do more of that kind of thinking for you,” Schweidel said.

You can even ask an AI assistant why you should or shouldn’t buy a certain product. Rai likens this to telling a chatbot to play a role like an expert or devil’s advocate.

“If you want a more balanced sense, especially as you go toward higher budget items, it’ll be crucial to get the devil’s advocate view,” he added.

Generate gift ideas

If you simply don’t know what to buy, chatbots are great at coming up with gift ideas.

There’s one caveat: The better the prompts, the better the suggestions. This means the more information you provide — including the recipient’s age, interests and even details like how hard they are to shop for — can help the chatbot come up with ideas beyond generic suggestions based on gender and relationship. Including modifiers like “unique” can help, too.

Keep in mind, this experience is intended to be more conversational than a search engine.

“It’s not I ask it one question and stop there,” Schweidel said. “The more you share with it, the better those responses are that you’re going to get back.”

You can even redirect a chatbot if it starts going down the wrong path or ask it to explain why it selected a particular option.

“Providing that context helps a lot,” Rai added.

However, it’s important to note all of the traditional rules about online safety and privacy apply, so don’t share information like your credit card number here.

Find in-stock items

If you’re running out of time, chatbots can help find in-stock items nearby, so you don’t have to hit up multiple stores in a desperate last-minute search.

This is part of the new AI shopping functionality from Google. In a blog post, Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s vice president and general manager of ads and commerce, wrote that Google will call nearby stores to see if they have what you’re looking for, as well as how much it costs and if there are any related promotions.