- Electronics at 122
- Apparel, Footwear and Accessories at 115
- Health and Beauty at 113
- Office at 111
- Home and Garden at 109
In identifying industries, Numerator pointed out that general merchandise is more likely to see disruption, indexing at 110, than consumer packaged goods and quick service restaurants, each at 108.
Numerator noted e-commerce and value retailers including Costco, TJX’s portfolio of banners including Home Goods, Amazon and Best Buy over-index among AI-engaged consumers, while traditional grocers Ahold Delhaize and Albertsons under-index. However, the differentiation isn’t a neat one, as Publix over-indexes and Walmart and Dollar General under-index.
The 76% of consumers who view AI positively use it daily or weekly compared with just 17% of consumers with neutral or negative sentiments.
Almost one in 10 U.S. households report using AI while shopping, with the proportion doubling among regular AI users, marking them as an early audience for retail experiences powered by artificial intelligence., according to the Numerator index. Regular AI users spend 5% to 13% more per household than their demographic peers, Numerator noted.
Still, one in five consumers rank AI proliferation among the issues that worry them the most, up from 12% in July 2025 and on par with economic uncertainty, according to Numerator. At this juncture, trust remains a significant barrier to AI-powered commerce, with 48% of consumers concerned about how their personal data is collected and used and 41% concerned about payment security.
Numerator maintained there is little or no variation across age cohorts when it comes to AI acceptance. Although Gen Zers lead in AI adoption, they also are among the most resistant to it, with 57% expressing trepidation about adopting artificial intelligence technology versus 32% of Baby Boomers. The environment and ethics are main AI concerns of Gen Zers, followed by impact on creativity and thinking, and accuracy and reliability of results, the index indicated.
The Numerator AI Consumer Index benchmarks spending among AI-engaged consumers against the average U.S. shopper, the market research firm explained.
