Story Highlight
– Berry’s Jewellers excels in AI readiness for shoppers.
– AI shopping plans increased from 19% to 34% year-on-year.
– Jewellers scored an average of 79 in AI accessibility.
– Most retailers struggle with detailed product information.
– Blend Commerce highlights need for improved clarity in listings.
Full Story
Berry’s Jewellers, based in Leeds, has emerged as a leader among jewellers in the UK and the US, demonstrating notable preparedness for the growing trend of shoppers using AI chatbots to enhance their shopping experiences.
A recent YouGov study highlighted a significant shift in shopping behaviour, revealing that the proportion of consumers planning to utilize AI technology during Black Friday has surged from 19% in 2025 to 34% in 2026.
In light of this rising interest, the Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) firm, Blend, set out to evaluate how well various retailers are positioned to accommodate AI-driven inquiries, focusing on four critical questions regarding the shopping experience with AI assistants:
1. Can the AI access the retailer’s website?
2. Can it locate products?
3. Can it comprehend product details?
4. Can it facilitate the checkout process?
Blend’s analysis involved sending an AI shopping agent to assess 200 retailers in both the UK and US, generating scores based on a range of factors. The study spanned 20 different sectors, with 10 retailers examined in each, comprising five from each country.
The average score across all sectors was 65 out of 100, with jewellers performing notably well by achieving an average score of 79, placing them as the third highest performing category. Baby and nursery retailers topped the list with an impressive average score of 88, while the fashion sector fell behind, averaging only 49.
Within the UK jewellery market, Berry’s Jewellers excelled with a top score of 96. It was followed by Glasgow-based ROX, which scored 86, and Watches of Switzerland’s Goldsmiths, which garnered a score of 82. In the US, Jared led with a score of 89, trailed by the online retailer WatchMaxx at 86.
Interestingly, the study found that 29 out of the 200 retailers—roughly one in seven—prevented the AI shopping agent from accessing their websites. However, none of these restrictions were due to blocking AI in their robots.txt file, and notably, none of these retailers were in the jewellery sector.
Despite their strong performance, there is still room for improvement among jewellers regarding the information provided about their products. Only Berry’s and ROX included essential details such as delivery and returns policies within their product metadata. Furthermore, eight of the ten jewellers evaluated lacked barcode numbers, which could assist AI agents in matching products across various retailers.
Commenting on the findings, Adam Pearce, co-founder and CEO of Blend Commerce, stated: “Jewellers have got the hardest part right: an AI agent can get into the shop. A lot of much bigger retailers can’t say that. The next job is making sure the agent can read what a jewellery buyer actually asks about, like delivery dates and returns, because on Black Friday that’s what it will compare. If you’re spending money on being found in ChatGPT, Claude, and wherever else, spend ten minutes before Black Friday checking what an agent sees when it reaches your product pages.”
