One in five Belgians (21%) uses artificial intelligence for online Christmas shopping, according to figures released on Tuesday by Becom, the Belgian e-commerce federation.
AI tools are used to compare prices between online shops and to receive personalised gift suggestions. Only 8% of Belgians used AI during the festive season last year.
A common scenario is involving ‘Secret Santa’. Shoppers can describe the recipient’s hobbies or profession to AI tools and receive tailored gift ideas, explains Greet Dekocker, Managing Director of Becom.
Becom advises consumers to stay cautious while shopping online and avoid falling for scams. It recommends checking the reliability of online shops by looking out for typos in website URLs or promotional text. Websites with a “.be” domain suffix offer added security for Belgian buyers, Becom notes.
Last December, Belgian online retailers sold nearly 17 million gifts, generating total revenues of €1.33 billion. Becom suggests Belgians are on track to surpass last year’s record.
