eCommerce AI spending rises as leaders fear readiness gap

Pattern has published research showing eCommerce companies are increasing spending on artificial intelligence even as most leaders say their organisations are not ready for the next phase. The survey covered 1,000 senior business leaders in the UK, US, Germany and the UAE.

Average AI spending among respondents is USD $291,626 and is expected to rise 11% to USD $323,886 by the end of 2026. Yet 73% of eCommerce leaders said their businesses are unprepared for what comes next, highlighting a gap between investment and operational readiness.

The findings suggest the main obstacles are not a lack of interest in AI, but the challenge of embedding it in day-to-day eCommerce operations. Ethical and regulatory concerns were cited by 29% of respondents, while 28% pointed to legacy systems and outdated infrastructure and 27% highlighted resistance to change within teams.

Those barriers affect a range of functions that eCommerce groups have sought to improve with AI, including customer service, merchandising, forecasting and supply chains. Many organisations are still struggling to move from pilot projects and limited trials to broader use across core operations.

Regional split

The research also found clear differences between markets. In the UK, resistance to change was the most common concern, named by 32% of leaders, suggesting internal culture and staff adoption remain major issues even as investment rises.

In the US, ethical and regulatory scrutiny was the leading concern, cited by 35% of respondents. This reflects a different set of pressures in a market where businesses face closer scrutiny over how AI tools are deployed and governed.

Germany and the UAE were included in the survey sample, although the published findings focused on patterns in the UK and US. Across all four markets, the broader picture was one of strong spending intent matched by uncertainty over whether organisations have the systems, processes and internal backing needed to keep pace.

Commercial hopes

Despite the concerns, respondents were largely positive about near-term returns. Some 87% said they expect AI-powered search to have a positive effect on sales this year, indicating that leaders still see direct commercial value in the technology even as they question their own preparedness.

According to the survey, smaller teams reported the biggest gains in productivity and efficiency. That may reflect the ability of leaner operations to adopt new tools more quickly, or the greater immediate effect of automation when headcount is limited.

The results reflect a wider tension in eCommerce as companies seek to use AI to improve customer experience and internal efficiency while also dealing with governance concerns and technical debt. Many businesses have already allocated budgets, but the survey suggests budget increases alone are not resolving deeper organisational issues.

The challenge lies in the operational and cultural work required to make AI useful at scale. That includes updating older technology systems, setting internal rules for responsible use, and building support among staff who may be wary of change.

David Jennison, EU Managing Director at Pattern, said the gap between spending and implementation was significant.

"Every brand we work with is investing in AI," he said. "The ones getting real returns are the ones who treated the operational and cultural work as seriously as the tech. You can't automate your way past a broken process - you just get a faster version of the same problem. That's the readiness gap this research is capturing, and it's bigger than the headline number suggests."

The study adds to growing evidence that AI adoption in commerce is entering a more demanding stage. Early experimentation has been widespread, but the next step requires companies to connect new tools to older systems, align teams behind new workflows and respond to evolving rules on data, accountability and customer protection.

For eCommerce businesses, the message from the data is that spending plans remain intact and expected returns are still high, particularly around search and productivity. But many organisations appear to be investing ahead of their ability to absorb the change, leaving a large share of leaders convinced they are not yet ready for the next phase of adoption.