AI Shopping, Social Discovery, Experiential Retail Reshape Media Plans For 2026: Dentsu

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Advertisers and media buyers should prepare for a retail and commerce landscape where AI-driven discovery, social media influence and experience-led shopping play a far larger role in media allocation, according to a new report from Dentsu.

In its Consumer Navigator: Retail & Shopping 2026 study, Dentsu finds that AI tools are quickly becoming embedded in how Americans research and discover products, with more than half of U.S. consumers already using or planning to use AI shopping assistants.

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