To buy hard-to-find products like gaming consoles and limited-edition sneakers, US consumers often have to compete with bots — automated programs that move quickly to buy products ahead of human customers and then resell them for a profit. As the competition from bots heats up, data from Forrester’s May 2022 Consumer Energy Index And Retail Pulse Survey shows that some consumers are turning to shopping bot services themselves. We are seeing the beginnings of a vicious cycle in which those who can’t find in-demand inventory turn to bots, thus increasing bot traffic and further marginalizing consumers who lack the time, money, or tech savvy to buy into a shopping bot.