Fashion discovery has fragmented. Retailers need to connect the journey.

Today’s fashion shopper no longer follows a single path to purchase. They discover on mobile, browse through social, compare through search, validate with reviews and increasingly turn to AI tools for inspiration and recommendations.

The exclusive Connected Consumer 2026 report from Drapers, in partnership with Athos Commerce, reveals how UK shoppers are changing, and what retailers need to do to keep pace.

Based on a survey of 2,000 consumers aged 18 to 60, the report shows a more connected, more considered and harder-to-convert shopper. The opportunity for retailers is clear: make every product easier to find, trust and buy, wherever discovery begins.

The connected consumer, by the numbers

43%

of consumers rank mobile as their preferred fashion shopping channel.

62%

browse fashion online at least weekly, but only 38% purchase weekly.

60%

use AI tools at least occasionally in their shopping journey.

Discovery is everywhere. Conversion is harder.

Fashion shoppers are more active across digital channels, but they are also more selective. They expect every interaction to be relevant, accurate and connected, whether they are browsing on a mobile site, discovering a product on TikTok, comparing prices through search or asking AI tools for recommendations.

For retailers, this creates a new challenge. Being present across channels is no longer enough. Product data, search, merchandising, recommendations, imagery, pricing and availability all need to work together across the full path to purchase.

The result is fragmented discovery. The opportunity is Intelligent Discovery.

What you’ll learn

Inside the Connected Consumer 2026 report
Download the report to learn:

Why mobile is now the leading fashion shopping channel

How browsing behaviour is rising while conversion remains harder to secure

Why TikTok, Instagram and social commerce are reshaping fashion inspiration

How AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are becoming part of product discovery

Why shoppers still prioritise accurate sizing, clear product information and strong imagery

What retailers need to do to create more consistent, connected and trusted shopping journeys

From fragmented discovery to Intelligent Discovery

The findings point to a clear shift: product discovery is no longer confined to a retailer’s website. Shoppers now move between onsite and offsite channels, including mobile, social, marketplaces, search engines and AI platforms.

Athos Commerce helps retailers meet this shift through Intelligent Discovery, bringing AI-powered search, merchandising, personalisation and product feed management together in one platform. That means retailers can make products more discoverable, relevant and consistent wherever shoppers search, browse or buy.

Athos’ platform is built for this new reality: connecting shoppers to the right products across onsite and offsite channels, not just one part of the journey.

Ready to understand the 2026 connected shopper?

Download the exclusive Connected Consumer 2026 report from Drapers and Athos Commerce to explore the trends shaping fashion discovery, conversion and AI-assisted shopping.

Download the report