German consumers want greater control

In 2025 one in six Germans said they had already used generative AI-based shopping tools, and more than a quarter planned to try them in the future.

In Germany, AI has increasingly become a kind of “invisible shopping advisor” for many consumers

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2026/02-03

However, only 5% would be willing to pay for chatbots or virtual assistants, according to a recent study by the Capgemini Research Institute (conducted in October-November 2025, with the involvement of 12,000 consumers in 12 countries). What is more, 89% of German consumers would like to determine the scope of AI assistants’ decisions themselves before they act on their behalf.