Americans embrace AI and social discovery, but trust still determines how they buy, reveals ESW Signals report

• 47% of US consumers are comfortable using AI for price comparison, while only 24% are comfortable with AI-powered payments
• 45% of Americans discover products through social media, but only 27% trust social commerce checkout experiences
• 39% of US consumers say discretionary spending has decreased over the past year, compared with 31% who say it has increased
• Half of US consumers who feel unconfident about their household finances are trading down to cheaper options, compared with 14% of financially confident shoppers

NEW YORK, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- US consumers are continuing to spend, but growing differences in financial confidence are reshaping how Americans shop, pay and engage online, according to new data from ESW, the international growth engine for ambitious brands.

ESW works with internationally recognized brands, helping them scale through trusted, localized ecommerce experiences across global markets.

The findings form part of the global launch of ESW Signals, ESW's new insights platform exploring evolving consumer behavior and international commerce trends worldwide.

US consumers are most comfortable with AI when it improves convenience or helps find value, with 47% open to AI-led price comparison and 44% to AI-powered deal finding. Only 24% are comfortable with AI-powered payments, while just 10% say they would allow AI-led auto-replenishment.

Millennials and Gen Z consumers are significantly more open to conversational AI shopping, at 34% and 29% respectively, compared with just 8% of Boomers.

Social platforms continue to play a growing role in how Americans discover products online, with 45% of Americans using social media to discover products, rising to 76% among Gen Z shoppers. However, only 27% trust social commerce checkout experiences. Trust in influencer recommendations is also highly generational, with 43% of Gen Z shoppers saying they trust influencers, compared with 11% of Boomers.

US ecommerce behavior remains anchored in retailer-controlled channels, with 37% preferring to shop directly through brand or retailer websites, compared with 7% who prefer shopping mainly via social platforms. Among Boomers, preference for retailer websites rises to 52%.

The survey of almost 24,000 consumers found that 39% of US consumers say discretionary spending has decreased over the past year, compared with 31% who say it has increased. Half of consumers who feel unconfident about their household finances say they are trading down to cheaper options, compared with 14% of financially confident shoppers.

Regional differences are visible across the data, with consumers in the West less likely to be trading down to cheaper alternatives (19%) than those in the Midwest and South (26%).

International shopping remains relatively limited across the US market, with only 12% of consumers purchasing from overseas retailers frequently, while 23% say they never shop internationally online. More than half (51%) say long delivery times discourage international purchases, while 49% cite shipping costs and 39% point to fraud or legitimacy concerns. Consumers in the West are the most internationally engaged, while those in the Midwest and Northeast are more likely to be deterred by delivery costs, shipping friction and trust concerns. The US also remains resistant to paid returns models, with 35% saying they would avoid retailers introducing small return fees.

Payment trust remains concentrated in traditional methods, with cards the dominant and most trusted payment method and PayPal consistently ranking second. One in five US consumers have used BNPL services in the past year, rising to 31% among Millennials, although BNPL remains one of the least trusted payment methods for international purchases.

Recommerce is also gaining traction among younger consumers with 25% of Gen Z consumers now buying second-hand items frequently, while cost continues to outweigh sustainability as the primary motivation purchasing.

The US findings also reflect broader trends identified across the global ESW Signals report. While US consumers remain comparatively cautious and value-focused, markets across the Middle East and Asia are showing significantly stronger spending momentum, with 67% and 61% of consumers respectively reporting increased discretionary spending.

Consumers in the Middle East also show materially higher openness to AI-powered shopping and social commerce checkout experiences, while European and North American consumers remain more cautious and trust-oriented at the point of purchase.

Eric Eichmann, CEO, ESW, commented on the launch of the report: "The findings of our ESW Signals report show that US consumers are willing to embrace new ways of discovering products and finding value. Nearly half are comfortable using AI for price comparison and 45% discover products through social media, but confidence drops sharply when those experiences move closer to checkout and payment.

But not all US consumers are behaving the same way. Our data shows that consumers in the West are generally more open to new shopping behaviors, while much of the Midwest remains more cautious and value focused. Consumers in the West continue to show greater openness to social commerce, AI and international shopping, but trust, transparency and reliability still matter across every region.

That gap between growing openness to new shopping experiences and continued caution at the point of purchase is becoming increasingly important globally as ecommerce growth accelerates in markets across the Middle East and Asia, where consumers are showing stronger spending momentum and greater openness to new digital shopping behaviors. For American brands expanding internationally, the opportunity is significant, but so is the need to adapt to different customer expectations market by market."

About ESW
ESW is the international growth engine for ambitious brands. We absorb the complexity of cross-border commerce — payments, compliance, duties, localization, shipping and returns — so brands can grow globally with confidence. Our enterprise-grade platform is built for scale but configurable for the world's most complex brands. We architect end-to-end international operations across 200+ markets that fit each brand's exact needs, removing the operational and compliance risk that stands between ambition and growth. 

ESW Signals Methodology
ESW Signals 2026 is based on over 23,000 interviews across 18 markets in Q1 2026. The study examines consumer behavior across discretionary spending, international shopping, payments, social commerce, AI and ecommerce experience expectations. The report combines consumer survey research with ESW's aggregated transaction data and expert perspectives on international ecommerce. Survey data shows where consumer expectations are shifting; ESW transaction data shows where those expectations affect checkout behavior, payment performance and cross-border conversion. https://esw.com/resources/signals

Media contact:

Conor Sheridan
[email protected] 
+353 86 031 0800

SOURCE ESW