AI-powered beauty and retail tools are now deeply embedded across the entire holiday journey, from search and inspiration to purchase and post-purchase care, with Perfect Corp.’s new trend report framing this as a turning point for how consumers discover and buy products.
Brands that lean into personalization, hybrid experiences, and clear value messaging are best positioned to win over today’s budget-conscious, AI-first shoppers. How AI is changing holiday shopping behavior Consumers are no longer just
experimenting with AI; nearly 9 in 10 shoppers already use AI for retail, and a similar share plan to rely on it even more in the months ahead.
Within Perfect Corp.’s YouCam apps community, about 80% of users now use AI tools specifically to help find gifts, showing how central recommendation engines and virtual experiences have become to holiday discovery. This shift ties directly to shoppers wanting to “buy smarter,” using AI to narrow down choices, compare options, and feel more confident that each purchase fits the recipient’s needs and their own budget.
Nearly 1 in 3 consumers in the report say they plan to cut back on non-essential categories like holiday décor, instead prioritizing more practical yet still indulgent items such as fragrance and color cosmetics. Personalization, routines, and the rise of “guided” beauty The report leans on the Spate Popularity Index , which tracks search and social signals, to show just how strongly routine-based beauty has taken off.
Searches for “skincare routine” are up by about +395% year over year, while “hair routine” interest has surged roughly +1000% , signaling a clear consumer preference for step-by-step, personalized guidance…
