Overview
Stellagent released the "Home Appliance Purchase: Retailer Touchpoints and AI Consultation Needs Survey" on July 23, 2026, covering 400 people who purchased a new home appliance within the past six months and were involved in gathering information or choosing where to buy. When asked about an AI chat consultation service on an electronics retailer's official site or app — one that covers product candidates, price, stock, delivery and installation, recycling, warranty, and in-store consultation — intent to use it (Top 2) was 59.0% overall, rising to 68.2% among those who considered an electronics retailer but ultimately bought through another channel.
For details, see the press release on PR TIMES.
Intent to use an official AI consultation service was 59.0% overall and 68.2% among shoppers who considered a retailer but bought elsewhere
Background
A home-appliance purchase tends to involve a lot of pre-purchase comparison: price, specs, reviews, stock, delivery and installation, warranty, and post-purchase support. For expensive, installation-heavy appliances such as air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and TVs, it is not only the product itself but also the service conditions of each purchase source that shape the decision.
At the same time, consumers now gather information across search engines, e-commerce malls, price-comparison sites, video, social media, and in-store staff — and increasingly through AI chat services. When AI becomes the entry point that organizes a shopper's requirements and compares multiple products and purchase sources, electronics retailers face a new challenge: making sure the right information on their official site or app is in a form AI can handle.
Key Findings
- Intent to use an official AI consultation service from an electronics retailer (Top 2) was 59.0% overall ("very interested" 27.5%, "somewhat interested" 31.5%).
- By segment, intent reached 94.9% among the 118 people who used AI before purchase, and 68.2% among the 179 who considered an electronics retailer but bought elsewhere — both above the overall figure. Even among the 282 who did not use AI, it was 44.0%.
- 29.5% said they "used" AI such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini before buying an appliance; including latent users, the figure rises to 54.0%.
- While 83.8% considered an electronics retailer as a purchase source, only 44.2% ultimately bought from one.
Survey Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Survey name | Home Appliance Purchase: Retailer Touchpoints and AI Consultation Needs Survey |
| Respondents | People who purchased a new home appliance for themselves or a household member within the past six months and were involved in gathering information or choosing where to buy |
| Collection date | July 21, 2026 |
| Method | Web survey (survey tool: Freeasy) |
| Valid responses | 400 |
| Conducted by | Stellagent Inc. |
Implications for Retailers and Manufacturers
The entry point to a purchase is shifting to an "ask AI" stage that happens before the shopper reaches a store or official e-commerce site. AI is used to compare products and organize reviews, so keeping product information, comparison axes, stock, price, reviews, and purchase paths in a form AI can interpret is becoming a condition for being chosen at that entry point.
What an official AI consultation service is expected to do goes beyond generic product recommendations: it should connect price, points, and stock, explain differences between products, and guide the shopper to the purchase page. Notably, shoppers who considered an electronics retailer but bought through another channel show higher-than-average intent to use an official AI consultation service, making it a promising way to re-engage those who slipped away.
Segment-level intent, where AI was used, expected features, and the methodology are available in the Home Appliance Purchase: Retailer Touchpoints and AI Consultation Needs Survey.
Looking Ahead
Stellagent will continue to measure consumers' AI consultation needs and their impact on businesses by product category and industry, helping retailers and manufacturers understand and improve how they respond to the purchasing experience in the AI era.