VML report: Consumer trust and affordability outweigh AI trends

The VML The Future Shopper 2026 report, based on research from 28,000 consumers across 17 countries, indicates that despite the rise of artificial intelligence, consumer decisions remain driven by affordability, reliability, and seamless shopping experiences. Economic uncertainty has led 59% of global consumers to express increased concern regarding their financial situation, with 60% actively reducing non-essential spending. However, consumers continue to prioritize small, everyday luxuries such as clothing, coffee, and beauty products.

While AI usage is growing for tasks like information retrieval and translation, a gap remains between usage and trust. In the professional sector, agencies are integrating AI as a universal assistant to handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks such as data processing, monitoring, and text refinement. Industry experts note that while AI provides significant efficiency in quantitative tasks, human oversight remains essential for creative authorship and strategic decision-making.