Australian shoppers cautious on AI, trust key for Black Friday
New research from Sinch highlights Australian consumers' cautious approach to artificial intelligence-driven retail experiences as the 2025 Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period approaches.
Cautious optimism
According to Sinch's latest survey, AI has become common in retail communications, but Australians remain sceptical about its value and express strong concerns around privacy and trust. While 29% of respondents believe AI will make their Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday shopping easier, a larger proportion - 32% - do not believe AI will offer any improvement to their shopping experience.
Data privacy remains a central issue, with 43% of those surveyed identifying the use and security of their information as their leading concern when engaging with AI-driven services. The research also reports that nearly one in four shoppers, or 23%, feel that AI-enabled personalisation can sometimes overstep, describing it as invasive.
Preferred channels
The survey reveals that when it comes to communications from retailers, Australians prefer trusted, established channels. Email was named as the top choice, with 58% selecting it for promotional messages and 80% saying they prefer to receive transactional messages this way. More than half (54%) want shipping and order tracking information via email, and 55% prefer to resolve customer support queries through this channel as well.
Despite the increasing use of AI chatbots by retailers, these are not most customers' first preference for handling more complex issues. Only 2% would select an AI chatbot as their top choice for support, and only 2% said they would trust product recommendations from AI over those from a real person.
Expectations and timing
The research offers insights into what shoppers expect from retailers during the shopping season. Of those surveyed, 36% said they want to receive information about Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals a full month ahead, indicating a desire for timely and relevant engagement. However, personalisation must be meaningful; while 47% say they appreciate tailored content, this is only true if it is directly relevant to their interests or needs.
Trust as a differentiator
Ginger Kidd, VP Marketing and Communications, APAC at Sinch said: "Australian consumers are open to AI, but only on their terms. They expect secure, transparent, and genuinely helpful experiences. That message is consistent across global markets that trust must come first.
Kidd added, "To win loyalty during peak sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, brands must act on what consumers are telling them: use AI in ways that are authentic, responsible, and human."
Sinch's research underscores the role trust will play for brands in the upcoming holiday shopping season. The report suggests that frictionless commerce alone is not sufficient; brands must also demonstrate a commitment to secure and transparent customer interactions to earn attention and loyalty.
Performance and infrastructure
The company noted that its platform delivered over 800 million SMS messages on Black Friday 2024, a 23% increase from the previous year, with 99.99% uptime and enterprise-grade encryption. Sinch reports offering verified messaging, secure AI interactions, and customer journey tools to help brands build trust at scale.
The survey findings indicate that as retailers continue to expand their AI strategies and capabilities, the effectiveness of such technology will be tested during high-traffic periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with customer trust likely to determine engagement outcomes. As the report concludes, the difference between being ignored or engaged could come down to one thing: trust.
