The top shopping use cases for generative AI are…

More than half (56%) of U.S. consumers reported using generative AI during the holiday shopping season. The latest quarterly “In Sync with Consumers” survey from Synchrony reveals that among those consumers, the top holiday shopping use cases for generative AI were product discovery (34%) and deal hunting (29%), accounting for approximately one-third of generative AI shopping usage across all age demographics, Chain Store Age reports.

In addition, 75% of respondents said they are taking more time to find the best price, which according to Synchrony analysis indicates AI may be playing a growing role in shopping, payments, loyalty, and financing decisions.

Generational differences

The survey also reveals that in general, Gen Z respondents have higher levels of comfort shopping with generative AI assistance than older respondents:

• 45% of Gen Z respondents report they are comfortable taking product recommendations from an AI tool
• 44% of Gen Z respondents are comfortable taking financing options from an AI tool.
• 41% of Gen Z respondents expect to use an AI agent to complete shopping tasks on their behalf in the future.

In comparison, only 25% of boomer respondents report they are comfortable taking product recommendations from an AI tool, while less than 20% are comfortable taking financing recommendations or having an AI agent shop on their behalf.

The survey captures ongoing monthly sentiment from a nationally representative sample of 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18 and older, balanced to reflect U.S. Census demographics. These results were collected between Oct. 1 – Dec. 5, 2025.