“Customer adoption of artificial intelligence has been so quick – much quicker than we were expecting. Much faster than the internet,” declared Régis Schultz, CEO of omnichannel sports retailer JD Sports Fashion, at the World Retail Congress in Berlin in April. “I said [to teams]: ‘Let’s be high risk. Let’s go for it.’ The biggest risk is to do nothing.”
Schultz’s remarks reflect a broader transformation sweeping through the retail sector. Over the past several years, AI has evolved from experimental technology used primarily by the world’s largest corporations into a widespread tool across fashion markets. Alongside this shift, AI-powered large language model chatbots like ChatGPT have fundamentally changed how consumers search, discover, and purchase fashion items.
Beyond the excitement around AI, critical questions emerge for the fashion industry: To what extent are consumers actually using AI for clothing, footwear, and accessory shopping? How do shoppers interact with AI tools on brand websites and apps? And where should fashion leaders invest as they evolve their technology infrastructure?
These questions form the foundation of Drapers’ latest comprehensive report, developed in partnership with Domaine and Shopify. The research surveyed 2,000 UK consumers and examined their behaviors across demographic segments.
The findings reveal a fashion market in significant flux. Social media algorithms increasingly drive discovery; AI tools are becoming standard components of shopping journeys; and consumers are growing more comfortable with AI-assisted commerce, both through external tools like ChatGPT and integrated platform features.
However, the research highlights a crucial reality for fashion brands: AI is enhancing ecommerce experiences rather than replacing fundamental drivers of sales. While consumers increasingly expect intelligent search, personalized recommendations, and AI-assisted discovery, trust, product quality, pricing transparency, and seamless checkout remain decisive purchase factors.
Social media platforms have become the dominant force in fashion discovery. Research shows that 40% of consumers discovered new fashion brands or products through platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or Pinterest – double the 20% who cited traditional search engines like Google.
This represents a significant shift in how fashion discovery occurs. Consumers now use social media as an inspirational starting point and receive curated products through social feeds and creator content.
AI-powered discovery is rapidly gaining ground. While only 4% of consumers initially discover fashion brands through tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, 13% identify AI tools as among their most-used channels for online fashion discovery. Notably, two-thirds of consumers (66%) have used AI tools like ChatGPT while shopping for fashion online, including 80% of Gen Z and 73% of millennials.
Consumers employ AI across various shopping activities: 29% for price comparison, 22% for product discovery, and 21% each for styling advice and product comparison.
This demonstrates AI is moving beyond experimentation into mainstream shopping behavior.
Despite the rise of social and AI-powered discovery, traditional search remains vital in fashion ecommerce, particularly for high-intent shoppers. When seeking specific items, 31% begin with search engines like Google, compared to 21% who start on social media and 19% who visit brand websites directly.
Younger consumers are reshaping this landscape. Among Gen Z, 34% begin even high-intent searches on social media, while 10% start directly with AI tools.
For fashion brands, this signals that discovery strategies must evolve beyond traditional SEO and direct traffic acquisition. Success increasingly requires optimization for social algorithms and emerging AI-powered recommendation systems. High-quality product data, structured content, detailed descriptions, reviews, and accurate sizing information are becoming essential for both consumers and AI intermediaries.
AI-powered experiences are also transforming how consumers shop once they reach brand websites. With 48% preferring traditional search bars and 47% favoring recommendation-based suggestions like “things you might like,” the data shows consumers are embracing algorithm-driven shopping journeys.
Looking ahead, 51% of consumers expect to use AI more frequently when shopping for fashion over the next three to five years, while 64% anticipate brands will leverage AI to enhance shopping experiences.
Consumers particularly value AI that addresses practical pain points: finding products faster (39%), improving customer support (34%), delivering better recommendations (33%), and simplifying checkout (28%).
