A third of all online users use AI before making a purchase

Yandex has identified a key trend of modern online shoppers — a third of them are already actively using AI tools, voice assistants, and photo/video search as part of the so-called "buyer's path." This is the online user path that a person goes through from the first search for an idea of what to buy to the actual purchase.

Online shoppers rely on a combination of channels: 70% start with search engines, 53% with marketplaces. But today, search is not just about text queries: a third of users actively use AI tools, voice assistants, and media file search. 55% are still typing in the search bar. At the same time, 38% combine different methods, 22% limit themselves to text only, and only 23% search for products exclusively on marketplaces. The difference in the share of marketplaces (50% of scenarios) and search (37%) is explained by the type of product and the stage of choice: for routine purchases (groceries, household chemicals), users go directly to marketplaces — habit and speed decide, and "complex" categories (appliances, furniture, cosmetics) are first searched in the search to study the specifications, read reviews, and compare options.

Yandex conducted the research jointly with the Okkam group of companies. It was conducted online among 4,017 active Internet users aged 18-55 from Russian cities with a population of 100,000 or more in July–August 2025. As a result of the study, it was concluded that in order to effectively advertise goods and products online, a brand must use AI search technologies and modern tools such as voice queries, as well as use marketplaces and traditional sales channels — the so-called "offline stores". This is the only way to cover all the stages of the buyer's journey and not lose key customer contacts.

Trust the proven: products on marketplaces will be more actively checked

What can be the result of increased control over online platforms?

The results of the Moneyplace study, published on September 18, showed that dresses, sundresses and sunglasses are the leaders among the products from marketplaces that Russians most often return to sellers. Animal feed (98.9%), baby food (97.1%) and groceries (96.1%) are the leaders in terms of the percentage of purchases.

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