Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Shoppers are turning to AI to discover brands and decide what to buy, even as trust in the technology remains low.
“We found significant skepticism around algorithm-driven channels like social media, and in particular generative AI, where the trust level is below 40 percent,” says Danielle Bozarth, global leader of McKinsey’s Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods Practices. In this episode of _The McKinsey Podcast,_ Bozarth joins Senior Partner Clarisse Magnin and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to talk about AI-powered shopping and other trends reshaping consumers’ path to purchase—and what brands need to do differently to keep up with them.
*Chapters:*
00:00 – Intro
01:11 – How AI and social media are changing shopping
05:09 – Who does Gen Z trust?
06:25 – How GEO is changing brand discovery
08:05 – How consumers are redefining health and wellness
11:30 – Why consumers are spending more on experiences
12:50 – How cost pressures are changing consumer behavior
14:04 – Understanding the resourceful consumer
15:18 – How leaders should respond to these trends
18:07 – How companies are responding to AI’s impact
The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhvMIsPbo0GCgGOu_YroCOVSiCp4_9a1H&si=9Hk98YHrTBTAhMgR
Read the _State of the Consumer 2026_ report: mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/state-of-consumer
Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
*Find us on:*
Facebook: mck.co/Facebook
Twitter: mck.co/Twitter
LinkedIn: mck.co/LinkedIn
Instagram: mck.co/Instagram
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Shoppers are turning to AI to discover brands and decide what to buy, even as trust in the technology remains low.
“We found significant skepticism around algorithm-driven channels like social media, and in particular generative AI, where the trust level is below 40 percent,” says Danielle Bozarth, global leader of McKinsey’s Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods Practices. In this episode of _The McKinsey Podcast,_ Bozarth joins Senior Partner Clarisse Magnin and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to talk about AI-powered shopping and other trends reshaping consumers’ path to purchase—and what brands need to do differently to keep up with them.
*Chapters:*
00:00 – Intro
01:11 – How AI and social media are changing shopping
05:09 – Who does Gen Z trust?
06:25 – How GEO is changing brand discovery
08:05 – How consumers are redefining health and wellness
11:30 – Why consumers are spending more on experiences
12:50 – How cost pressures are changing consumer behavior
14:04 – Understanding the resourceful consumer
15:18 – How leaders should respond to these trends
18:07 – How companies are responding to AI’s impact
The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhvMIsPbo0GCgGOu_YroCOVSiCp4_9a1H&si=9Hk98YHrTBTAhMgR
Read the _State of the Consumer 2026_ report: mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/state-of-consumer
Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
*Find us on:*
Facebook: mck.co/Facebook
Twitter: mck.co/Twitter
LinkedIn: mck.co/LinkedIn
Instagram: mck.co/Instagram
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information.
