46% of Frequent Shoppers Have Left a Site Ready to Buy, Gladly Survey Finds

Unanswered questions and long waits cost brands the sale, per 1,022 U.S. online shoppers

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gladly, a Commerce AI platform focused on retail customer relationships, has released a new survey of 1,022 U.S. adults who shop online at least a few times each month. The results show that 46% of these shoppers left a site ready to buy because a specific question went unanswered and 53% decided not to buy while waiting for a response.

"Shoppers ready to buy won't wait long for an answer," said Ali Fazal, Gladly's chief marketing officer. "A fast, accurate reply keeps the sale moving. A handoff that makes them start over after the sale puts the next one at risk."

Daily Shoppers Lean on AI Most

People who shop more often tend to use AI more. Among daily shoppers, 71% have used AI to help them decide whether to buy, and 62% have looked up a brand or product in ChatGPT or Gemini before visiting the brand's website. According to Adobe Analytics, which analyzed over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, traffic from AI sources converts 54% better than traffic from other sources.

Shoppers Size Up a Brand's AI Fast

Most shoppers (63%) can tell within the first few exchanges whether a brand's AI understands its products, policies and customers. Three in 10 (30%) can tell after just one exchange.

Shoppers Won't Explain Themselves Twice

The biggest customer service frustration for shoppers, cited by 38%, is being transferred to someone who has to start over. Instead of repeating themselves about a return or an unresolved issue, 56% have walked away. 31% accepted the loss and 25% left a negative review.

Shoppers Hold the Brand Responsible

If a brand's AI keeps shoppers from reaching a person when they need one, 83% say they would be less likely to buy from that brand again, and 32% would never buy from it again. Overall, 35% have abandoned a purchase because of a frustrating service experience and bought from a competitor instead.

Among daily shoppers, 59% have spent less with a brand after repeated frustrating AI service. Also, 53% of them have told friends, family or colleagues to avoid a brand because of a bad AI experience.

What Good AI Does

Of daily shoppers, 76% say it would be helpful if AI could answer detailed questions before they buy, and 61% would be more likely to make a purchase if the same AI could also complete the transaction. Almost half (49%) have felt more loyal to a brand after a good AI experience. Gladly believes good AI should know when to involve a person and pass along the full conversation history.

One in five shoppers who looked at a product in chat added it to their cart within the first 30 days of using Gladly, according to a Gladly case study. Gladly also says chat generated six figures in add-to-cart value.

Personal Agents Already Shop on Gladly

Personal agents like Meta's Muse already shop and get help from brands using chat and voice, just like regular shoppers. These agents connect with the brand's Gladly AI and go through the same identity checks and limits as everyone else.

Gladly welcomes new open standards for these agents, such as the Personal Agent Protocol and Personal Agent Consent & Trust (PACT). No matter which standard is used, the brand's Gladly AI agent remains in control of the conversation.

"Shoppers will bring their own agents, and the brand's job stays the same: know the customer and answer the question," said Charlie Besecker, CEO of Gladly. "We welcome the standards that make those conversations easier to trust."

The full report, "What Online Shoppers Really Want From AI," is available here.

Survey Methodology

Propeller Insights surveyed 1,022 U.S. adults for Gladly in July 2026. All respondents shop online at least a few times a month, and the sample included daily, weekly and few-times-a-month shoppers across Gen Z (18–29), Millennials (30–45), Gen X (46–61) and Boomers (62+). The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points with 95% level of confidence. Percentages are rounded and may not total 100.

About Gladly

Gladly is the Commerce AI platform built to run the entire retail customer relationship. The same AI that helps a shopper decide what to buy supports them long after the sale, so they get one continuous experience with the brand instead of a handoff between disconnected tools. Trained on more than 450 million retail interactions, Gladly resolves and sells in the same conversation, getting sharper the longer it's live. Founded in 2014 and based in San Francisco, Gladly serves brands such as Crate & Barrel, Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom and HOKA. The company has raised more than $200 million from investors including AXA Venture Partners, Riverwood Capital, Greylock and NEA.

SOURCE Gladly