A question of trust: 77% of shoppers want retailers to spell out governance procedures for AI use – RTS research
Greater consumer awareness of AI within retail isn’t translating into increased trust around the use of the technology, prompting shoppers to call for greater transparency and AI governance from retail businesses, the latest research by the Retail Technology Show (RTS) reveals.
As consumers become increasingly well versed at interacting with AI in their personal lives, with Deloitte estimating that over 18million people in the UK have now used GenAI technology, customers are becoming more cognisant of AI within their shopping journeys. Original research of over 1,000 UK shoppers by RTS showed that 40% are now aware of retailers using AI when shopping, a rise of +13 percentage points compared to last year. This increases to 54% of Gen Z, rising sharply by +23 percentage points versus 2024, and 52% of Millennials (up from 41% last year) who are aware of retailers’ use of AI within their shopping experiences.
Yet, despite increasingly levels of personal adoption and knowledge retailers’ use of AI, this is not necessarily translating to greater levels of trust around the use of the technology, with shoppers becoming less trustful of AI compared to last year.
Now, almost half (48%) remain mistrustful of brands’ use of AI – an increase of +9 percentage points year-on-year – and nearly three quarters (72%) say they are concerned about the use of their data when retailers use AI, jumping +10 percentage points compared to 2024. Meanwhile, 73% of consumers feel retailers must do more to build their trust about the use of AI within their shopping journeys, also up +4% year-on-year.
Never Miss a Retail Update!And this lack of trust is prompting consumers to demand greater levels of transparency and governance when retailers deploy AI. Over eight in ten (84%) want retailers to be transparent about using AI within their buying experiences, a rise of +9 percentage points compared to last year, while over three quarters (77%) want retailers to spell out governance procedures around AI use, an increase of +6% compared to 2024.
“Retailers will need to close the customer-AI trust gap if they are to truly accelerate the impact of the technology on their businesses,” Matt Bradley, Event Director at RTS commented. “Our senior retail audiences tell us, almost unanimously, that AI will be the top technology driving their growth in the year ahead. Yet, while the potential of the technology is palpable, retailers must take their customers on the journey with them, setting out clear and transparent guardrails for its use to build greater trust, while also delivering enhanced value and CX to the shopper.”
With over half (51%) of the 2,000+ senior UK retail professionals polled by RTS saying AI was the top innovation for accelerating business growth in 2025, followed by GenAI (44%), AI will be showcased widely across the 2025 event. From Focal Systems’ shelf-edge cameras that improve replenishment to Profitmind, an AI agent that continuously finds revenue, profit and cashflow opportunities, there will be a wealth of AI-powered solutions across the exhibition floor, including an AI showcase at the Retail AI Council Pavillion.
On the RTS 2025 conference programme, AI takes centre stage on the AI, Data and Omnichannel track on Day 2, featuring John Lewis’ Chief Data & Insight Officer, Barry Panayi, who will discuss how to leverage data to make AI truly operational, while Kingfisher’s Group AI Director, Mohsen Ghasempour, will also outline how the retail group is using AI to drive CX and efficiency.
Register for free to attend: https://www.retailtechnologyshow.com.
