Numerator: The product categories most likely to be disrupted by AI are…
A new measurement from Numerator reveals where artificial intelligence-enabled shopping may have the greatest impact.
The AI Consumer Index from Numerator identifies health & beauty, apparel, footwear and accessories, and electronics as the product categories with the greatest potential for AI-enabled disruption in consumer discovery and consideration.
In total, Numerator finds that AI-engaged households account for $37 billion in additional annual spending and more than 30% of U.S. households now using AI weekly. The AI Consumer Index also revealed that among retailers, Costco, TJX Companies, and Amazon over-index among AI-engaged consumers, while traditional grocers Ahold Delhaize and Albertsons under-index.
Meanwhile, in the restaurant vertical. Chipotle, Panera Bread, and Jack in the Box over-index among AI-engaged households, while Arby's, Culver's, and Dairy Queen see below-average spending.
In addition, key survey findings from the Numerator AI Consumer Insights Hub include:
- More than three-quarters (76%) of surveyed consumers who view AI positively use the technology daily or weekly, compared with 17% of respondents. with neutral or negative sentiment.
- One-in-five respondents now rank AI among the issues they are most concerned about, up from 12% in July 2025 and on par with economic uncertainty.
- Nearly one-in-10 respondents report using AI while shopping, with usage doubling among respondents who are regular AI users. According to Numerator analysis, the difference points to regular AI users as an early audience for AI-enabled shopping experiences.
- Nearly half of respondents (48%) are concerned about how their personal data is collected and used, while 41% cite payment security, which Numerator says highlights the trust considerations that accompany broader adoption of AI shopping tools.
A recent survey from financial services company Synchrony and Oxford Economics reveals shoppers are most comfortable using artificial intelligence for lower-risk tasks such as searching for products, comparing prices and applying discounts. Eight-in-10 (79%) surveyed U.S. consumers are willing to let AI automatically apply discounts and 74% are willing to let AI apply loyalty points or rewards.
[READ MORE: Here’s what consumers want from AI shopping agents]
Smaller numbers of consumers are willing are comfortable letting AI purchase up to a preset limit (43%) or automatically purchase regularly used products (37%).
The AI Consumer Index comes from Numerator’s Total Commerce Panel of more than 170,000 consumers and benchmarks household spending among three AI-engaged consumer groups—regular AI users, consumers with positive AI sentiment, and consumers who use AI while shopping—against the average U.S. shopper. Survey data comes from a monthly tracking survey, with these findings based on a July 2026 fielding.
