“That behavior changes incredibly fast,” said Jesse Weltevreden, lector Digital Commerce bij de Hogeschool van Amsterdam, NOS Nieuws reported.
More than half of all consumers have shopped with the help of artificial intelligence, according to research by accounting firm Deloitte cited by NOS Nieuws. Research published in July showed that 55 percent of Dutch people use AI when shopping, and 42 percent are willing to share personal data in exchange for better recommendations. At the same time, 47 percent do not want to leave their final purchase up to AI, as many consumers first want to understand how a recommendation is formed.
Unlike traditional search engines that return uniform results, AI-driven queries deliver personalized answers shaped by location, context, and the specific chatbot used. Retailers find themselves with less direct control over where customers decide to buy. Daan Broekman, owner of the clothing store de Rode Winkel in Utrecht, restructured his website and published detailed frequently asked questions to ensure his shop appears in chatbot responses, as reported by NOS Nieuws.
Weltevreden, who also founded the platform RankmyAI, warned that expanding commercial features threatens the baseline neutrality of chatbot recommendations. Large retail chains hold a distinct advantage over independent stores because they possess larger budgets for data structuring and targeted advertising.
“We wouldn’t have come up with this five years ago either,” Broekman told NOS Nieuws. “You are always looking at how best to get your customer’s attention, and I think AI is going to have a huge impact.”
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