AI and eCommerce: What Merchants Need to Understand About Canadians’ New Shopping Habits

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the way consumers search for information, evaluate options and make online purchasing decisions.

For several years, discussions around AI in eCommerce focused primarily on the technologies themselves. However, the findings from the Novatize x Léger study, 2026 eCommerce Trends Report: AI and eCommerce — What Canadians Are Actually Adopting in 2026, show that AI tools have now become an integral part of the buying journey. In fact, more than half of Canadians have already used an artificial intelligence tool in an online shopping context and 63% are inclined to use AI as part of their purchasing journey.

For retailers, manufacturers and distributors, these findings raise an important question: how can organizations prepare for a world where purchasing decisions are increasingly influenced by AI assistants and agents?

AI Becomes a Decision-Making Tool

For a long time, consumers relied on traditional search engines to find products, compare options and conduct research before making a purchase.

Today, new behaviors are emerging.

More and more consumers are using tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot to help them understand the differences between products, summarize available information, or identify the option that best meets their needs. This shift is particularly interesting because it shows that consumers are not necessarily looking for a more technological shopping experience. Above all, they are looking for a simpler one.

When consumers need to choose between multiple products, they are generally trying to answer a few fundamental questions:

• Which option best fits my needs?
• What are the main differences between these products?
• Which criteria should I prioritize?
• What are the advantages and limitations of each option?

Artificial intelligence helps answer these questions more quickly and reduces the uncertainty associated with purchase decisions.

This is precisely why adoption continues to grow.

Product Comparison Is Becoming a Key AI Use Case

One of the study’s most interesting findings concerns the motivations behind AI usage. Among the various use cases evaluated, product and brand comparison ranks first. This result is particularly significant for eCommerce organizations. It confirms that consumers place considerable value on tools that help them quickly understand the differences between multiple options.

In a context where catalogs often contain hundreds or thousands of products, this reality creates new expectations for merchants. Product pages must be clearer, product attributes must be better structured, content must be more explicit and information must be easily interpretable by both humans and artificial intelligence systems.

Why Product Data Quality Is Becoming Strategic

Most organizations already invest in search engine optimization, digital marketing campaigns and transactional platforms. These investments remain essential. However, a new layer of discoverability is beginning to emerge.

When AI assistants analyze a catalog to compare products or recommend solutions, they rely primarily on the available data and content. An incomplete product page, inconsistent attributes, or a lack of contextual information can limit an AI system’s ability to properly understand your offering. Conversely, a robust data structure enables these tools to interpret your products more effectively and present them more accurately.

This reality is gradually transforming product data into a competitive advantage.

The Emergence of Agentic Commerce

Beyond the occasional use of tools such as ChatGPT, a deeper transformation is underway: the emergence of agentic commerce.

Agentic commerce refers to an environment where consumers delegate part of their research, analysis and sometimes even decision-making to AI-powered agents.

In practical terms, this means a consumer could ask an assistant to identify the best products based on specific criteria, compare multiple options, or recommend a solution tailored to their situation.

This evolution is gradually changing the way organizations need to think about digital visibility.

The question is no longer simply: “Is my product visible?”

It is becoming: “Is my product clear, structured, and relevant enough to be recommended by an AI agent?”

How Merchants Can Prepare Today

The growing adoption of AI in shopping journeys raises many questions for organizations. Which use cases are truly gaining traction? Which product categories are most affected? Which consumer behaviors should organizations monitor, and where are the opportunities?

The 2026 eCommerce Trends Report: AI and eCommerce — What Canadians Are Actually Adopting in 2026, conducted by Léger for Novatize, explores these questions in greater depth by analyzing evolving consumer habits, the leading AI use cases in eCommerce, and the practical implications for retailers, manufacturers, and distributors.

Is Your Brand Ready for Agentic Commerce?

The findings from the 2026 eCommerce Trends Report: AI and eCommerce — What Canadians Are Actually Adopting in 2026 demonstrate that consumer behaviors are evolving rapidly. For organizations, the challenge now lies in understanding how they are perceived within these new digital environments.

If you want to better understand how your products, content, and brand are interpreted by AI agents, discover Novatize’s Agentic Commerce Strategic Assessment. This initiative helps evaluate your level of readiness, identify opportunities for improvement, and strengthen your position within AI-driven purchasing journeys.