Canadian Shoppers Embrace AI-Driven Shopping, But Retailers Face New Visibility Challenges

Nearly four in ten Canadian shoppers have used artificial intelligence to help them shop over the past year, according to Salesforce research. This shift towards AI-driven shopping is becoming increasingly mainstream, with 11-12% of Canadians now starting their shopping journey with an AI tool, up from single-digit levels last year.

Caila Schwartz, Director of Industry Insights at Salesforce, notes that Canadians are using AI for price comparison and deal hunting, as well as conducting research quickly and receiving product recommendations. The technology is reducing the need to move between multiple websites and search results.

Higher-income shoppers tend to place greater emphasis on personalization, while other consumers are leaning more heavily on AI to find deals, coupons, and conduct price comparisons. Traditional search remains important, with 89% of Canadian commerce professionals believing that AI and large language models will be essential to product discovery within the next year.

As AI shopping continues to grow, retailers face a new visibility challenge: what determines which products and brands appear in AI-driven recommendations? Salesforce believes data quality will play a central role, with clean and consistent product information, accurate inventory, and direct catalogue integrations being key areas for retailers to focus on. The emergence of concepts like generative engine optimization (GEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO) is also changing the game.