Locus has published research into how artificial intelligence is shaping UK online shopping and delivery expectations, finding a gap between product discovery and delivery performance.
The study of 2,000 UK shoppers found that 43% use AI to research or choose products, while 37% said it makes them more likely to try brands or products they had not previously considered. At the same time, only 7% said fast delivery promises are consistently met.
The findings highlight a weak spot for retailers as online shopping takes a larger share of UK retail spending. If shoppers are using AI to place first orders with unfamiliar brands, delivery may become the first test of whether those retailers can meet expectations.
Some 36% of respondents said AI tools offer better options and more tailored product choices than standard searches, suggesting greater confidence at the point of purchase even as delivery networks struggle to match the experience shoppers receive before checkout.
Returns and refunds also featured heavily in the survey. Some 59% of respondents said they would be less likely to buy under stricter returns policies, while 67% said fast refunds would make them more likely to shop with a retailer again.
This suggests the post-purchase experience is becoming a bigger factor in repeat business, particularly for brands trying to win over first-time online buyers. For retailers, the challenge goes beyond attracting customers through search, advertising or AI-assisted recommendations.
Delivery pressure
The issue comes as AI tools play a wider role in consumer decision-making and technology groups examine how AI agents may eventually make purchases on users' behalf. In that environment, fulfilment and returns are likely to face closer scrutiny because they shape the customer's direct experience after the sale.
Locus said retailers need to keep adjusting delivery plans after an order is placed, as changes in network capacity during the day can affect whether a promised delivery window is met.
Pradyumna Chowdhary, Chief Product Officer at Locus, commented on the shift in online shopping behaviour and the strain it can place on logistics operations.
"Agentic commerce needs to be met with agentic fulfilment. An AI agent may be able to choose a product and complete a purchase in seconds, but once that order enters the delivery network, a new set of decisions begins.
"The retailer has to turn the commitment made at checkout into a delivery plan that will hold up in the real world. Capacity moves throughout the day, so the plan cannot stay fixed from the moment the order is placed.
"Fulfilment technology needs to keep assessing the order and make adjustments while there is still time to keep the delivery on track. That gives the operation a current view of what it can handle and allows it to respond before a change in the network becomes a missed promise for the customer.
"That reliability will matter even more as AI introduces shoppers to retailers they have never used before. Delivery is the customer's first direct experience of how the business performs. Agentic commerce will only work at scale when the delivery operation has the intelligence to keep acting after the purchase and carry that first order through successfully."
Returns factor
The survey indicates that speed and certainty after checkout may now matter as much as discovery before checkout. Fast refunds appear to carry particular weight, with more than two-thirds of respondents saying they would be more likely to shop again with a retailer that handles refunds quickly.
This could be especially important for online merchants facing tighter competition and rising customer acquisition costs. If AI tools broaden the range of brands shoppers consider, retailers may gain new opportunities to win business, but they may also have fewer chances to recover from a poor first delivery experience.
Censuswide conducted the research among a nationally representative sample of UK adults aged 18 and over.
Locus operates in transport management software and said it serves customers across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Its platform brings together orders, carrier networks and capacity planning across delivery operations.