Study: 63% of APAC AI shoppers say the tech sparks better ideas

A growing number of shoppers in Asia-Pacific aren’t just using AI to find things - they’re letting it guide what they buy. Among APAC consumers who use AI to shop, 63% say it helps them make inspired choices, from outfits to meals, according to the latest retail report from financial platform Adyen.

The report surveyed over 41,000 consumers globally - including those in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, and Malaysia - showing that more than a third (38%) of APAC shoppers now use AI to assist with shopping, a 39% increase from last year.

“The introduction of AI in shopping has created new shopper journeys that are more exciting than ever. From it, we see an emergence of new consumer behaviours - one characterised by personalisation and convenience,” said Warren Hayashi, Adyen’s president for Asia Pacific.

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The enthusiasm for AI isn’t limited to a single age group. In Malaysia and Hong Kong, Gen Z are clear frontrunners, with 74% and 64% of respondents in that cohort using AI, respectively. But older consumers are warming up quickly.

In Singapore, Gen X and Millennials recorded the sharpest increases in AI shopping adoption over the past year, up 45% and 28%. Even among seniors (60+), nearly a third (30%) are using AI to support purchasing decisions - a signal of growing mainstream comfort with emerging tech.

For retailers, an inflection point

Retailers aren’t just observing from the sidelines. More than a third (34%) plan to increase investment in AI over the next 12 months, with a focus on enhancing marketing, product innovation, and fraud prevention. It’s a multi-pronged approach: optimising customer engagement while reinforcing backend security.

“Retailers generate vast amounts of payments data through their daily operations, presenting a substantial untapped opportunity,” Hayashi noted. “Where AI comes into play is to drive conversions at scale.”

To that end, Adyen has launched an AI-driven payment optimisation tool, Adyen Uplift, which analyses transactional patterns to help merchants distinguish real customers from fraudsters - streamlining checkout experiences while keeping bad actors at bay.

Still, as with all things AI, the path forward is shadowed by consumer apprehension. A quarter of APAC consumers (26%) say they’re more worried about fraud now, with one in five choosing not to let devices remember their payment details.

“Besides optimising revenue, AI could aid in the fraud-fighting efforts of retailers,” said Hayashi. “By training AI on the thousands of transaction data retailers process each day, it can spot anomalies, identify patterns, and predict fraud attempts – ultimately ensuring consumer trust and protecting retailers’ hard-earned revenue.”

Currently, 40% of APAC retailers say they are already using AI to prevent fraudulent transactions. But that still leaves a majority yet to catch up.

Unified commerce, unfinished business

Even as AI advances, the fundamentals of retail - access, flexibility, and physical experience - continue to matter. Only 46% of APAC retailers allow seamless shopping across online and offline channels, though another 19% plan to do so in the coming year.

From social media to shopping apps, consumers are embracing multichannel retail. A growing number (36%) are now using social platforms as shopping channels, while 46% expect businesses to offer consistency across every touchpoint.

And yet, the physical store remains resilient. Nearly half (42%) of consumers say they like online and in-store shopping equally. For the rest, 35% still prefer the traditional brick-and-mortar experience. Reasons range from the tactile - 48% want to see and feel the product before buying - to the immediate: 35% enjoy walking away with their purchase in hand.

The region’s retail landscape is approaching a convergence: AI-inspired creativity, tech-enhanced fraud prevention, and the enduring desire for human connection. Retailers who can bridge these priorities - by combining intelligent tech with empathetic design - stand to win not just sales, but long-term loyalty.

As Hayashi put it, “Embracing AI isn’t just about staying current; it’s about meeting evolving consumer expectations and staying competitive in a fast-changing retail landscape.”

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