Santa’s New Helper? AI’s growing role in the Christmas gifting journey
Much has been talked about shifts in the search ecosystem this year, with AI poised to change the game. But how much have AI summaries, assistants and chatbots played a role in everyday purchase decisions, and which target audiences are seeing the biggest shifts?
Our latest research shows AI is playing a growing role in Christmas gifting for younger audiences. Nearly 1 in four under 35s are using (or plan to use) AI to search for Christmas gifts. This figure is over four times as many as over 35s, suggesting it is younger shoppers that are making the most of these tools for gifting journeys.
What’s more, those who have adopted it are finding it useful. Almost all of those who have searched for gifts with AI, put it in their top 3 most useful ways to search.
According to Ipsos iris, 21 million people in the UK used LLM AI platforms in September 2025 - up 78% from the same time last year. While 15-24s are still the biggest users of ChatGPT, reach has at least doubled among all older age groups over the last year. We expect the market to continue to shift, and consumers behaviours with it.
Christmas gifting, of course, is one very specific occasion. Each category is unique, and it is important to understand new journeys in depth for individual brands and services. It is not enough to know your target audience are using AI, the question is how and why - and are your brands showing up?
Almost
of under 35s are using, or plan to use, AI to search for Christmas gifts
of users are hoping that AI will give them recommendations of where to purchase gifts
Know your blindspots
Our study showed indications that AI drives commercial value for brands. Around half of users are hoping that AI will give them recommendations on where to purchase gifts - alongside suggesting ideas and helping them narrow them down. Perhaps most importantly, AI is becoming relied on and implicitly trusted. Around 8 in 10 who use it, feel they can rely on recommendations of brands and retailer websites in AI summaries.
With people increasingly taking recommendations from AI, GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is more important than ever. Too often, exactly what AI summaries are saying about brands is a blind spot.
This year, researchers have developed tools to help navigate this, such as Ipsos Synthesio’s GEO tool. It can help understand share of voice in LLM AIs, how this varies by the types of questions users are asking, as well as the key sources that AI is drawing from. All this can feed into strategies to boost your visibility.
One part of a broader puzzle
While the number of people using AI to help purchase decisions is undoubtedly growing, this is still part of a broader purchase journey.
In our study on gifting, ‘traditional’ channels dominate. Older shoppers have a clear preference for both physical and online retailers. Even amongst under 35s the highest ranked top choice for Christmas gifting is physical retailers, closely followed by online retailers and social media. It seems there is still some way to go before AI embeds itself fully as an established helper for gifting amongst the wider population.
LLM AIs aren’t operating in a vacuum so it’s important to understand where they sit and the role they play alongside these ‘traditional’ channels in online journeys
of visits to the ChatGPT website are followed by a visit to a retail site
For example, data from Ipsos iris, our passive online measurement solution, shows that just 8% of visits to the ChatGPT website are followed by a visit to a retail site. In fact, the biggest share of people go on to search engines, showing how LLM AIs are often one stop on a longer journey. So it’s not necessarily the case that people are shifting from search engines to AI - there is interplay between them (and other touchpoints).
Passive tracking can help understand this interplay. A clear ‘map’ of how people’s journeys unfold in real time – and how AI is influencing them - can unlock insights to help you navigate these choppy waters. Combining this with qualitative ethnographies can give an even richer understanding of context, emotional drivers and granular behaviour.
These complexities present both threats and opportunities. How, when and why people are making the most of new search options is shifting constantly, and brands need solid insight to keep up.
We expect grappling with how to adapt strategies and spending will continue way into 2026. So when you are asking Santa for gifts this year, understanding new consumer journeys for your brands should be top of your Christmas list.
