New research commissioned by Kingfisher, the owner of DIY retail brands B&Q and Screwfix, finds that 28 per cent of UK shoppers are happy for AI shopping assistants to automatically make purchases without their permission.
The study, which polled 2,000 UK adults, found that of those that trust automated purchases, three quarters would part with up to £99, matching the current limit for contactless payments.
The figures come as advancements in practical agentic commerce – where AI systems act independently to make and complete purchases on behalf of users – ramp up, with the likes of Visa, Mastercard and OpenAI leading in this space.
In early October, Mastercard announced that, alongside payment platform PayOS, it had completed a transaction using an agentic token that enables AI agents to execute payments on behalf of users.
Two weeks later, Visa unveiled its Trusted Agent Protocol – a foundational framework for agentic commerce designed to establish secure communication between merchants and AI agents during transactions.
OpenAI has also moved decisively into this space with the launch of Instant Checkout, a feature allowing users to buy products directly within ChatGPT.
Initially rolled out to US-based Etsy sellers and Shopify merchants in September, the service expanded last month through partnerships with Walmart and PayPal.
“As the way we shop continues to evolve, customers are embracing technology to deliver greater personalisation, speed, choice, and richer experiences,” said Thierry Garnier, chief executive of Kingfisher.
Kingfisher has rolled out several DIY virtual assistants, including Hello Casto and Hello B&Q, as well as visual search technology Screwfix Lens.
The Group and its brands are also trialling new pilots, including AI-powered interactive headsets for in-store staff to deliver quicker and more personalised customer service.
Additionally, the company is looking at how agentic AI can be used to make customer returns easier and simpler.
Futurist Andrew Grill, who developed the research in partnership with Kingfisher, described AI agents as “no longer science fiction”.
“Kingfisher’s research shows shoppers are already more comfortable letting AI make decisions than most retailers realise and makes clear how important speed and convenience are for customers,” continued Grill. “We’re entering an age of anticipatory retail — where customers expect brands to know what they need before they do, and Kingfisher is at the forefront of the innovations behind this.”
The study also found that over half – 58 per cent – UK adults are happy with AI recommending products when shopping.
Just over a third – 38 per cent – are happy with these recommendations being added to their basket.
Digital-native 18- to 24-year-old shoppers are most comfortable with embracing AI whilst shopping, with three quarters happy with AI recommendations and more than half happy to let AI buy on their behalf.
Last week, research from Worldpay revealed that with UK shoppers expecting around seven per cent of their total online purchases to be made via AI agents by 2030, the technology could be behind up to £29 billion of online spending.
The research, which surveyed 2,000 UK consumers, demonstrates that many Brits are already open to using the technology.
31 per cent said that they would let an AI assistant browse for them, with this figure rising to 45 per cent among 18–34s.
