Consumer intelligence firm NielsenIQ (NIQ) has released its Mid-Year Consumer Outlook: Guide to 2025 report, revealing that 40% of consumers globally would accept a product recommendation from their AI assistant, and the same percentage would leverage AI to automate and expedite their everyday shopping decisions.

In Australia, the figures are slightly lower but still significant. 30% of Australian consumers are likely to accept a product recommendation from their AI assistant, and the same percentage would use AI to automate and speed up their everyday shopping decisions. Furthermore, 34% of Australian consumers say they are likely to spend more on a purchase because of an in-app challenge, points system, or reward experience.

In any case, the trend suggests a significant shift in consumer behaviour, driven by the social commerce revolution and the evolution of omni-channel retailing.

The report, which identifies macro catalysts across industries, offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of economic events and trends on consumer confidence, changes in consumer attitudes, and provides crucial insights into the factors influencing purchasing decisions.

It also highlights an 11.6% increase in global online sales performance and the rise of gamification, with 36% of consumers stating they would spend more on a purchase due to an in-app experience.

COO of NIQ, Tracey Massey, said: “There is increasing demand for AI-driven insights based on large quantities of granular data that only NIQ can deliver. Having your finger on the pulse of current and expected consumer behaviour that is benchmarked globally is now table stakes to establish and maintain any competitive advantage.”

The report explores regional variations, providing in-depth analysis of the unique dynamics of Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Latin America.

NIQ’s Mid-Year Consumer Outlook 2024 provides an analytic assessment of the state of consumers, based on a global footprint of consumer intelligence solutions and the feedback of over 17,000 online consumers in 23 countries.