AI has become a shopping assistant for 30% of Russians shopping online
Artificial intelligence is ceasing to be an experiment and is turning into an everyday shopping tool. According to a joint study by RBC Market Research and Yandex, 35% of online shoppers in Russia already use neural networks when choosing products. This figure could grow to 74% in the coming years.
Technology is penetrating all areas of life: 86% of Russians already use AI in their daily lives or at work, and a third of them are familiar with generative services like ChatGPT or 'Alice AI'. The younger generation (49% among those aged 18–24) is the most active user of this new shopping format, while Moscow remains the geographical leader (45%). In the regions and small towns, the figure currently hovers around 27–30%, but this is precisely where the most dynamic growth is expected.
Most often, people turn to algorithms for help in categories with a wide assortment. Consumers find it most difficult to choose clothes and shoes (37% of requests), cosmetics, and household goods. These trends are confirmed by statistics from Yandex Market: in chats with the AI agent, users most frequently search for household goods (17%), clothing (16%), and electronics (11%). The 'Find Cheaper' function is particularly popular — 33% of requests in this category are for electronics, where price is crucial.
For now, AI primarily serves as an advisor during the selection process, but users expect more. In the future, 40% of respondents would like to delegate the search and comparison of offers to it, and 39% would like to receive recommendations. Experienced users already value the technology not only for saving money and time but also for personalized advice (34%) and help with difficult decisions (29%).
As user experience grows, the audience for AI-assisted shopping will expand. The most noticeable leap will occur among users over 35 (currently only 28% of them use the technology) and in the regions. It is expected that in a few years, the share of shoppers using AI will reach 74–80%, with Moscow maintaining its leadership (79%) and million-plus cities almost catching up (80%).