How can luxury brands compete as AI bots rise?

AI agents could influence up to $5t in consumer goods sales by 2030.

Shopping assistants powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are changing how consumers discover and evaluate luxury goods, raising pressure on brands to keep control of customer relationships and buying journeys.

“As AI systems increasingly interpret, compare, and curate products on behalf of consumers, decision-making is shifting upstream—from where a product is purchased to where intent is first expressed and desire is sparked,” McKinsey & Co. said in a May 2026 report.

The consulting firm said consumers are increasingly starting purchases through AI bots rather than directly through boutiques, websites, or social platforms. That shift could weaken the influence luxury brands traditionally held over discovery, service, and exclusivity.

McKinsey estimated AI agents could influence $3t to $5t of global consumer goods spending by 2030, showing how fast shopping journeys may move away from brand-owned channels.

McKinsey said luxury brands face broader questions over growth, customer ownership, and how to scale personalised service digitally.

“Luxury, after all, is not a business in which demand simply arrives fully formed,” it said. “It is a business where meaning is made.”

Luxury brands have long relied on tightly controlled environments—including boutiques, client advisers, and curated online experiences—to shape customer perception and reinforce exclusivity.

But the sector is already facing pressure from rising customer expectations and uneven service quality, McKinsey said. Aspirational luxury consumers are becoming more selective, with some shifting spending toward experiences or delaying discretionary purchases, it added.

For top-tier clients, AI could extend adviser-style support beyond physical stores through continuous personalised engagement. For broader customer groups, AI tools may offer product recommendations, styling guidance, and purchasing support at scale.

McKinsey said such tools could help brands increase perceived value through relevance and recognition rather than price competition.

The rise of third-party AI platforms also creates strategic risks.If consumers increasingly rely on assistants such as ChatGPT or Gemini before visiting brand websites or stores, customer intent may first be interpreted outside the brand’s own ecosystem.

“What is at stake is not only interpretation of demand, but brand identity, ownership of the customer relationship, control of data, and ultimately stewardship of the end-to-end experience—and, with it, the bottom line,” McKinsey said.

Questions to ponder: