AI's Role in Consumer Decisions
NielsenIQ has unveiled its latest global report, revealing how AI is redefining consumer commerce by influencing product discovery and purchasing decisions worldwide. Titled ‘The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West’, this report highlights AI’s growing role in the retail sector.
Live, social, and quick commerce are major drivers of digital growth, rapidly expanding from Asia to Western markets. Innovative formats are surpassing traditional e-commerce growth rates.
Projected to reach $107.6 billion USD by 2026, US retail media ad spend signifies the critical role of retail media networks in advertising. This shift reflects a broader convergence of Eastern and Western commerce strategies.
Incremental digital growth is now driven by live, social, and quick commerce globally. Social commerce in the United States has increased by 62.9%, while quick commerce has grown by 62.2%, exceeding traditional e-commerce growth.
In the Asia-Pacific region, about 60% of consumers engage in social and quick commerce. Meanwhile, Western markets are seeing a surge in discovery-led commerce, with nearly one-third of consumers purchasing after discovering products on social platforms.
India’s quick commerce accounts for approximately 80% of FMCG sales, resetting fulfillment expectations. China’s network of about 10,000 dark stores enables delivery within 30 minutes or less nationwide.
AI’s Impact on Buying Behavior
AI agents are increasingly autonomous in buying roles, reshaping how products are discovered and purchased. This ‘agentic commerce’ collapses the traditional sales funnel, forcing brands to compete for visibility in new ways.
Retail media spending reached $184 billion globally in 2025, with over 270 networks worldwide participating in this rapid expansion.
Super-apps in APAC, responsible for 55% of global e-commerce, drive this transformation. These integrated platforms unify content, commerce, payments, logistics, and AI, increasingly influencing Western markets.
Marta Cyhan-Bowles, Chief Communications Officer at NIQ, commented, “Global commerce is accelerating faster than at any point in retail history. The future will belong to those who understand consumer demand across platforms.”
Retailers and brands are advised to adopt data-rich strategies to navigate this evolving landscape. NIQ’s launch of its Commerce Lab aims to tackle the data and measurement challenges posed by AI-driven commerce.
Previously siloed operational functions of sellers are beginning to blur boundaries. Payment platforms and rapid fulfillment models from the East are merging with Western monetization models, setting the stage for a unified global commerce model.
Last updated: 5 May 2026, 1:04 am
