IAS Holiday Shopping report: AI use doubles, mobile leads, budgets hold

Australian shoppers plan to use more AI, mobile and video this Q4, according to new research from Integral Ad Science (IAS).

The Holiday Shopping Australia 2026 Report surveyed 532 Australian consumers in September 2026. It compares results with a 2025 study of 501 consumers, conducted in July 2025. IAS says year-on-year comparisons are directional.

The proportion planning to use AI tools to research products and gift ideas has increased from 12% in 2025 to 22% in 2026, while overall openness to using AI for shopping rose from 56% to 62%.

It also found mobile has strengthened its position as the primary shopping device, increasing from 57% of consumers in 2025 to 62% in 2026. Shopping intent also remains resilient: 77% plan to maintain or increase their holiday budgets, up from 73% last year, even as 54% say they will pay greater attention to sales and discounts.

For marketers, the findings point to a clear Q4 challenge: as consumers move between AI tools, social platforms, video, commerce environments and the open internet, reach alone is no longer enough.

It noted that media quality increasingly becomes a performance lever - helping advertisers reduce wasted impressions, protect investment, and ensure ads have the opportunity to influence real consumers in relevant environments.

Jessica Miles, Country Manager, ANZ, Integral Ad Science, said: “Australia's holiday shopper has changed more in 12 months than most media plans have. AI-assisted product discovery has nearly doubled. Mobile has extended its lead. And shoppers are doing more of their buying online.

“For marketers heading into Q4, that is a real opportunity, but following the audience is not a strategy. Consumers now move between social, video, commerce, and AI-powered environments within a single purchase journey.

“Reach alone tells you very little about what that spend achieved. This is where media quality earns its place. Not as a hygiene check, but as a performance lever. Real people. Suitable environments. Measurable outcomes. Every brand will be where the shopper is this Q4. The question is who can prove it worked.”

IAS Holiday Shopping Australia 2026 Report Key Findings:

1. AI in the purchase journey: 22% of Australians plan to use AI tools to research products and gifts, up from 12% in 2025. 62% are open to AI-assisted shopping tools, up from 56%. IAS says advertisers will need more visibility into where their ads appear as AI shapes what people discover.
2. Mobile: 62% name mobile as the device they will use most for online holiday shopping, up from 57%. IAS says advertisers should focus on exposure quality across mobile, app, social and commerce environments, not just reach.
3. Online shopping: 60% plan to do most or all of their holiday shopping online, the same as last year. 49% plan to shop online more than last year, up from 40%. IAS says this gives advertisers more chances to influence purchases, and makes it more important that digital spend reaches consumers in quality environments.
4. Social and video: 49% plan to use social media more when shopping, up from 47%. 38% plan to use video more, up from 31%. IAS says advertisers need consistent measurement and media quality data to check whether spend is delivering quality exposure, not just platform-reported delivery.
5. Ad quality and relevance: 73% say online ads make it easier to find products and promotions that suit their needs and budgets, up from 69%. 43% find ads relevant to the content they are viewing helpful, up from 39%. 45% value ads on sites they consider safe and reputable. IAS says marketers should pair reach with contextual relevance, brand safety and suitability, fraud prevention and consistent measurement.
6. Spending: 77% plan to maintain or increase their holiday budgets, up from 73%. Discounts and promotions are the biggest influence on purchase decisions, at 68%.
7. Implication for advertisers: IAS says AI, mobile and social create more opportunities to reach shoppers, but also more places where spend can be split up. It recommends independent measurement, contextual targeting and media quality controls to cut waste and protect campaign investment.

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