2026: The year shopping becomes intelligent

The AI-powered shopper has arrived. Today’s consumers are combining mobile and AI together into a fully-connected, always-on experience – and shopping more than ever.

The 2026 Global Digital Shopping Index (GDSI) explores how shoppers are integrating AI tools into their shopping behaviors, relying on them for product discovery and evaluation to find what they want, faster.

For businesses looking to stay ahead, the GDSI provides a real-time look at how discovery, decision-making, and payments are evolving in the agentic era. The data can help guide decisions, align infrastructure investments and inform payment strategy to compete for the always-on, AI-assisted shopper.