AI Reshapes Retail: 86% in Kuwait Use It for Shopping

Kuwait City, June 9: Visa’s annual *Stay Secure* study, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that 86% of Kuwaiti consumers use AI tools to assist with online shopping. These tools help with price comparisons (55%), gift ideas (51%), and product reviews (46%), with 94% saying AI makes shopping faster. However, only 23% trust AI agents to complete transactions, reflecting caution about automated checkouts. Social commerce is booming, with 78% buying directly through social media, but 40% experienced financial scams in the past year. Among scam victims, 45% were targeted on social platforms, more than on websites or marketplaces. Meanwhile, 83% of consumers report children in their lives struggle to recognize scams, and 76% have seen children fall victim while gaming or shopping online. Parents in Kuwait are increasingly concerned about children’s access to digital payments, with 37% reporting their children use mobile payment apps. The study highlights a generational gap in fraud awareness, as younger users face higher risks in unsupervised shopping environments. Consumers place primary responsibility for fraud protection on banks (47%) and government regulators (39%), with only 12% believing individuals should lead. Real-time alerts from banks (53%) and trusted logos at checkout (28%) would improve security perceptions. Visa’s Head of Risk for the GCC, Dibyajyoti Sen, emphasized the need for secure payment systems as AI-driven commerce grows, noting consumer skepticism about AI handling transactions while acknowledging its role in fraud detection. The data underscores a shift toward AI-assisted shopping but reveals persistent vulnerabilities, particularly for children and on social platforms. As digital commerce evolves, trust in institutions remains critical to mitigating rising scam risks.