New research points to the rise of the Validation Economy as AI reshapes the consumer journey

LONDON, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from global media, data and creative agency Croud reveals UK consumers may be far more ready for AI-powered commerce than brands realise. According to the latest Croud Consumer Index, The Expansion of the Validation Economy: How to Win in a World of AI-Mediated Consumer Journeys, 56% of UK consumers are open to AI purchasing on their behalf in at least one category, while nearly two-thirds would use AI-powered instant checkout.

Based on a nationally representative survey of more than 2,000 UK consumers, the report finds AI is reshaping every stage of the customer journey, from discovery to decision, fundamentally changing how brands earn attention, trust, and conversion.

The research identifies three major shifts redefining modern commerce:

Discoverability: 74% of AI users research via LLMs before deciding on a specific brand or product, allowing AI to shape consideration before preferences have been formed.
Validation: More than one-third of AI users validate recommendations across four or more sources before buying, with 41% turning to YouTube and 35% to Instagram or TikTok, reinforcing that reviews, creators, social platforms and brand-owned content increasingly determine whether AI recommendations convert into purchases.
Automation: Nearly four in ten consumers are comfortable allowing AI to purchase across three or more categories, reinforcing growing confidence in AI-assisted commerce.

"AI is changing how brands are discovered, but it isn't changing how trust is earned," said Debbie Ellison, EMEA CEO at Croud. "Consumers may begin their journey with AI, but they still look to people, creators, and trusted communities before making a decision. For marketers, success will depend on building brands that are not only visible to AI, but credible wherever consumers go looking for proof."

While the report found that low-risk, routine purchases such as groceries and household essentials remain the categories where consumers are most comfortable with AI-assisted purchasing, fashion shoppers stood out with unique behavioural patterns:

AI-assisted womenswear journeys generate 30% higher spend, with AI users spending an average of £125 compared to £96 among non-users.
Only 18% of AI users say they need to validate beyond AI before purchasing fashion, the lowest validation intensity of any category measured.

"AI shoppers research with intention, search by need and aesthetic over brand, and ultimately spend more," said Dani Jordan, Global CMO at Croud. "This creates a critical window for brands to influence decisions in the validation journey, before preferences lock in. To win, brands must show up consistently discoverable, distinctive, and trustworthy, not just to human shoppers, but to the machines guiding them."

The findings align with Croud's work helping brands adapt to AI-powered discovery. Health and wellness brand Thorne, for example, recently partnered with Croud to shift from a keyword-first search strategy to one focused on intent, context and AI visibility, contributing to a 30% year-over-year increase in organic revenue and a 66% LLM mention rate.

"What stood out to us wasn't just that consumers are using AI to discover products, but that trust still has to be earned beyond the AI recommendation," said Rajiv Ragu, VP of Growth at Thorne. "We've seen firsthand that success in AI search isn't about optimizing for one platform. It's about building authoritative content and a trusted brand presence that consumers and AI systems alike can rely on."

The full report, The Expansion of the Validation Economy: How to Win in a World of AI-Mediated Consumer Journeys, is available for download at https://croud.com/resources/croud-consumer-index-validation-economy-uk/.

About Croud

Croud is a global media, data and creative agency delivering a return on intelligence. We have a proven track record in providing returns to brands which compound over time due to our data-driven brand and performance heritage, advanced technologies and global talent.

Our capabilities span brand planning, strategy, integrated and retail media, social, creative and data, strengthened by acquisitions including Born Social, Metageni and specialist luxury marketing expertise. Our proprietary operating system, CroudOS, powers media and creative intelligence, supported by AI-driven technologies in data analytics, automation and effectiveness, and predictive modelling.

Founded in 2011 to reinvent the agency model, Croud combines 600+ in-house experts with a flexible global network of 2,900 specialists. Backed by ECI Partners and chaired by former Publicis Groupe Global COO Steve King, we work with brands such as Audible, Nespresso, and Timberland to deliver truly incremental growth.

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