Infobip Predicts that AI Will Reshape the 2026 Shopping Season

Infobip forecasts more than 7.3 billion customer interactions during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period in 2026, as AI and conversational platforms reshape how consumers discover products, receive promotions, and access support. New research from Infobip also indicates that 63.2% of consumers have utilized an AI assistant or chatbot during their shopping experiences over the past 12 months.

The Black Friday phenomenon has evolved beyond a solitary event. Infobip’s research demonstrates that the shopping season now commences weeks earlier and spans the entire customer journey. Nearly six in ten respondents intend to begin holiday shopping by early November, while only 19% wait until the actual week of Black Friday. This extended timeframe is placing new pressure on retailers to engage consumers earlier with improved timing, more relevant offerings, and seamless support across preferred channels.

AI is emerging as a pivotal component of this journey. According to the research, 63.2% of consumers have engaged an AI assistant or chatbot for shopping in the last year, with 21.9% utilizing such tools frequently. Among consumers willing to adopt AI for shopping, 73.4% would utilize it for product comparisons and 67.8% for identifying deals aligned with their preferences. However, the data also highlights clear boundaries: consumers are more amenable to AI informing their decisions rather than making purchases or resolving complaints autonomously.

Empirical evidence indicates that while email remains a primary channel for promotions and updates, conversational and mobile channels are becoming increasingly vital for time-sensitive, personalized engagement. Consumers identified email as the preferred global channel for updates, but SMS is selected significantly more often for transactional updates than offers, suggesting that retailers can establish trust through operational communications before expanding into promotional activities.

Temporal efficiency is increasingly regarded as a fundamental expectation. Infobip’s survey determined that 85% of consumers expect an order confirmation within five minutes, while 47% anticipate a support response within the same timeframe. For retailers, this implies that AI and automation are no longer merely tools for efficiency; they have become essential for meeting customer expectations during peak volume periods.

”Black Friday is no longer a single day or even a single week. It has become an extended conversation between consumers and brands, beginning with discovery and continuing through purchase, delivery and support. AI gives retailers the opportunity to make those conversations faster, more relevant and more personal. The winners will not be the brands that send the most messages, but those that understand when, where and how each customer wants to engage,” stated Goran Juršić, Chief Growth Officer at Infobip.