KPMG Germany Snapshot examines AI-driven online shopping, signals retail role shifts

KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft in Cologne released the Consumer Snapshot 01/2026 on March 5, 2026, produced in collaboration with the EHI Retail Institute, and it concludes that "Very few people reject AI-supported consultations outright, and younger people do not reject them at all," while digital consultations "can specifically help to reduce decision uncertainty and lower purchase abandonment rates in complex product ranges."

For this edition, the EHI Retail Institute surveyed 500 consumers online to gather their opinions on "Dialogue-based digital consulting in retail: How much dialogue does shopping require?" The press material records that EHI conducted the 500-person online survey and evaluated the data for KPMG, and lists EHI Retail Institute e. V., Spichernstraße 55, 50672 Cologne, and phone +49 221 57993-0 as contact details.

The Snapshot frames the change as technological as well as behavioral: "Digital purchasing advice in online retail has undergone significant development in recent years," and "Modern AI-supported voice and text systems now enable dialogue that goes far beyond traditional search and filter functions." KPMG's copy argues that these systems are bringing "digital purchasing support with chatbots closer to personal consultations," a shift that positions conversational assistants as more than blunt search tools.

On usability and design, the release identifies concrete success factors for retailers and product teams: "Consulting formats that remain voluntary, explain comparison logic in an understandable way, and build trust are successful." Those prescriptions point to operational work for digital product managers and UX teams inside retail clients and advisory practices: make AI optional, make logic transparent, and invest in trust-building signals in chat and voice flows.

The Snapshot emphasizes trends and drivers in retail and the consumer goods market, but it stops short of workforce metrics. The press copy does not provide age-band breakdowns, percentage tables, margins of error, survey field dates, or any employer-level staffing figures; the material notes only the 500-person sample and qualitative conclusions. The release therefore signals likely role shifts in digital advisory and customer-facing teams without delivering hard headcount or adoption timelines.

The document is labelled "Press Release" and reproduces branding lines and UI snippets including "KPMG Consumer Snapshot 01/2026," "How much dialogue does online shopping require?" and strings such as "Experience the difference" and "Let's change your future." Publisher contact is given as KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Luise-Straus-Ernst-Straße 2, 50679 Cologne, with collaboration credited to EHI Retail Institute e. V., Spichernstraße 55, 50672 Cologne, phone +49 221 57993-0.