German Shoppers Use AI for Research Avoid Checkout

German holiday shoppers are open to using AI for research, but they’re more hesitant when it comes to checkout. According to Klaviyo’s State of the Holiday Buyer 2026 report, which surveyed 500 consumers in Germany, most shoppers know what they want before they start looking and are happy to get help from AI to find it. The survey, fielded in July 2026 among German consumers aged 18 and older, targeted primary household decision-makers planning Black Friday, Cyber Monday or holiday purchases.

70% of German shoppers go searching for a specific item, while only 17% say an ad, influencer, or social post is what convinces them to buy. This puts the pressure on brands to be easy to find once the search starts. Because such a large share start with a defined product, clear on-site search functionality and well-structured catalogs are essential for conversion.

55% of shoppers have used an assistant when shopping, and comparing prices and finding deals is the top planned use this season, with 36% of shoppers planning to use AI for this purpose. Shoppers trust AI to research, far less to pay. About 1 in 4 shoppers have already had an assistant complete a purchase for them, but only 6% plan to do so this season, and 28% use AI to research a purchase and then buy somewhere else.

72% of shoppers would share some personal details with a favourite brand’s AI assistant if it helped them shop better, but only 11% would hand over their full purchase and account history.

Holiday budgets are holding steady despite economic uncertainty, with 87% of shoppers planning to spend at least as much as last year. Almost nine in ten shoppers say it’s shaping how they spend.

46% of shoppers want a straight discount, while 39% want free or faster shipping. 1 in 3 want early access to sales, which costs a brand nothing but planning time.

Shoppers haven’t made up their minds on AI-written messages, with 54% saying they don’t care if a message is AI-written as long as it’s helpful and relevant. However, 49% also agree that it bothers them when a brand’s message turns out to be AI-generated. Moreover, 56% believe that most brand messages they encounter are already AI-generated, which adds a layer of skepticism toward new AI-crafted communications.

Email is still the No. 1 preferred channel for both marketing and customer service in Germany, but WhatsApp is growing, with 16% of shoppers preferring it for marketing messages and 15% for service.