New XCCommerce and SmartBrief study shows AI-driven deal-seeking behavior is evolving, putting pressure on retailers to deliver relevant, unified incentives
XCCommerce, a leading omnichannel retail incentives engine, has released a new shopper study in partnership with the National Retail Federation (NRF) and SmartBrief that highlights the increasing role AI plays in how consumers seek deals and underscores their desire for personalized omnichannel promotions and incentives.
The 2026 Shopper Study: How Promotions and Incentives Influence Choiceis a report and consumer survey of more than 300 NRF SmartBrief readers, conducted in December 2025. The research discovered a critical need for retailers to provide consistent, valuable incentives. Key findings include:
- 75% of respondents said it’s important for offers to be personalized.
- 83% of respondents said valuable savings or rewards is what keeps them loyal to a retailer.
- Nearly half of shoppers buy more than planned or try new brands when redeeming an offer.
- Half the respondents said they don’t care where they receive offers (in-store, online, or on mobile), but they want promotions to work consistently across channels.
- Nearly 40% of consumers said they most often notice offers via email or text, and 23% said online ads or social media catch their eyes.
- Consumers care more about getting a quality deal (80%) than simply the lowest price (58%).
Regarding the influence of AI, more than 7 in 10 consumers are exploring AI tools to find better deals, and a third are already using them for deal-seeking. The survey also interestingly found:
- A quarter of respondents said they make plans around tentpole events like Amazon Prime Days and Walmart Deal Days.
- 60% of consumers said they will abandon a retailer entirely if they encounter inconsistent pricing across channels.
“Indisputably, shoppers are changing how they engage with promotions, looking to ChatGPT and open-sourced AI tools to accelerate the search,” said Danny Rosenoff, CEO, XCCommerce. “However, more than anything, our research is clear that consumers aren’t looking for more promotions; rather, personalized and consistent incentives wherever and however they shop.”
Built for accuracy at enterprise scale, XCCommerce’s unified incentives engine enables retailers to execute incentives without limits — across every channel — while protecting loyalty and margin. By replacing fragmented, rules-bound promotion systems with a single, unified platform, retailers unlock more creative incentives, increase promotional ROI by up to 15%, and improve operational efficiency by more than 75%.
