UK e-commerce is entering a more intentional phase. Consumers are using generative AI to do more than discover products, asking it to compare options, find deals, evaluate products and build confidence before making a purchase, according to the latest Adobe Digital Insights UK Spending Trends Report covering 1^st January to 31^st August 2026.

That shift is beginning to show in retailer performance. AI-referred traffic is growing rapidly and increasingly converting at a higher rate than established discovery channels. At the same time, UK online spending has gathered momentum through the summer, supported by major retail events and continued demand for health, fitness and self-improvement products.

AI is becoming a high-intent shopping channel.

Between October 2024 and August 2026, referral traffic from AI platforms increased by 1,439%. The more important signal, however, is what happens after consumers click through. In May 2026, the conversion rate for AI-referred traffic overtook traditional web search for the first time. By August, it held a 20% lead over non-AI referred traffic.

This suggests that AI is moving beyond an awareness or discovery tool. Consumers are using it to narrow their options and arrive at a retailer with a clearer idea of what they want to buy.

Adobe research shows that 37% of UK consumers now use AI assistants to shop. Among those shoppers, 34% say they complete purchases directly within AI assistant interfaces. Even where the final transaction still takes place on a retailer’s website or app, AI is influencing the path to purchase beforehand.

The use cases are increasingly practical. Consumers are turning to AI to compare prices, find promotions, assess product features and understand which options best meet their needs. In this sense, AI is helping shoppers reduce uncertainty and make more informed decisions.

This behaviour is also becoming normalised. 85% of consumers that used AI for shopping say AI improves their experience, while 66% trust the accuracy of AI recommendations.

AI is re-intermediating discovery, placing a new layer between the consumer and the retailer. For brands, visibility will depend not only on search rankings or paid media, but also on whether their product information is clear, credible, current and structured in a way that large language models can understand. Product descriptions, attributes, pricing, availability, reviews, delivery information and buying guides all become important inputs. The most effective content will be useful to both the customer and the AI systems helping them purchase with confidence.

A slow start gives way to a more confident summer.

The growth of AI-led discovery is unfolding against a broader recovery in UK online spending. Between January and August 2026, UK consumers spent £74.5 billion online, an increase of 3.3% year on year. After a slower start to the year, momentum strengthened in late spring and through the summer. Spending was up 4.9% year on year in the three months through August.

Amazon Prime Day provided a significant boost, following its move from July to June this year. UK online spending reached a record £10.6 billion in June, up 16.9% year on year. Across the four-day Prime Day event, shoppers spent more than £2.3 billion, an increase of 11.4% year on year. The first day generated £763 million in online spending, making it the highest-spending day of the year so far.

The performance of Prime Day points to a more deliberate form of value-seeking. Rather than disappearing, demand appears to have been concentrated around major retail moments, where shoppers not only search for savings, but also opportunities to buy more expensive items as promotions and discounts bring them within budget. This is reflected in the performance of premium goods, which increased their share of spending in Electronics, Apparel and Sporting Goods by 8.2%, 4.4% and 3.2% respectively.

Value sensitivity has not disappeared, however. In some categories, consumers traded down from their usual products to lower-cost alternatives. The result is a more selective market where shoppers are willing to spend more where they see a clear benefit, but are also prepared to make savings elsewhere.

In Appliances, Home and Garden and Tools, the share of lower-priced goods purchased increased by 2.6%, 2.4% and 1.9%, respectively, showing that shoppers are still looking to make savings where they can.

Spending momentum in health and wellness extends beyond the new year bump.

Health and wellness provides another example of where consumers are still prepared to invest. Spending on health, fitness and self-improvement products remained elevated from January through July 2026. This was not simply a short-lived New Year health kick. Demand stayed strong across a range of categories, including:

• Exercise equipment, up 90% above normal levels
• Supplements, up 68%
• Sports equipment, up 62%
• Wearables, up 53%
• Running shoes, up 46%

The momentum around fitness is also being reinforced by cultural trends. Running clubs, fitness communities and events such as HYROX are making exercise more social and visible, turning participation into a shared activity and, increasingly, a form of social currency.

That momentum is visible in the data. Spending on running shoes surged by 96% during peak event training periods, significantly above the already elevated levels seen across the wider period.

For retailers in this category, the opportunity is not limited to promotional activity. Consumers are looking for information that helps them make the right choice: which product is most appropriate for their goals, how products compare, how they should be used and whether they represent good value.

Buying guides, educational content, product comparisons and clear product information can support that decision-making process. They also make it more likely that AI assistants will be able to interpret and surface a retailer’s products to relevant shoppers.

Retailers need to meet consumers where intent is highest.

Taken together, these trends point to a UK retail market that is becoming more intentional. Consumers are using AI to research and shortlist products. They are waiting for major retail events to make selected purchases more affordable. And they continue to prioritise products connected to wellbeing, health and self-improvement.

For retailers, the opportunity is not simply to generate more traffic. It is to meet consumers at the points where intent is highest and give them the information they need to move from consideration to purchase with confidence.

UK shoppers are not handing over their purchase decisions to AI. They are using it to make those decisions with greater confidence. Retailers that provide accurate information, credible value cues and useful digital experiences will be best placed to earn consideration in this next phase of e-commerce.

These insights and more are now available in the Adobe Digital Insights Mid-Year UK Spending Trends Report here, and you can find more resources from Adobe Digital Insights here.

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