Snack, beverage shoppers turning to AI agents

NEW YORK — As artificial intelligence (AI) quickly gains traction with consumers, many are entrusting AI agents to shop for snacks and beverages, according to the latest Consumer Pulse Research from Accenture.

As part of Accenture’s “Talk to My AI Agent” study that surveyed 25,000 global consumers, the 2026 Consumer Pulse Research sampled 1,518 snack and drink (non-alcoholic) respondents in 16 countries. Of those, 80% said they’re open to collaboration with an AI agent that would work with the consumer to find the best option. 

But these snack and beverage consumers are willing to go even further with AI agents, Accenture found. Sixty-eight percent indicated they would allow task execution, in which AI handles specific commerce tasks at the consumer's request. Also, 30% are open to delegated decision-making – in which AI chooses what to buy, with the consumer making the payment – and 8% would permit autonomous purchasing that lets the AI agent make the transaction independently, with guardrails set by the consumer.

“AI agents are becoming the go-to discovery model for many consumers, helping them find snacks and drinks that better match the healthier, more budget-conscious or higher-quality version of themselves they aspire to be,” said Kath Gramling, global consumer goods, retail and travel lead for global business consultancy Accenture. “As we saw in our research, 63% of snacks and drinks consumers would now instruct an AI agent to shop for their ‘idealized self,’ showing a clear shift in how everyday purchases are discovered, chosen and consumed.”