Generative AI is rapidly moving from novelty to mainstream shopping tool, with Adobe’s latest Digital Insights report revealing its growing influence on online retail.
Traffic to US retail websites from generative AI sources, such as chat assistants and browser-based shopping prompts, surged 4,700% year-on-year in July 2025.
This follows a 1,300% spike during the 2024 holiday season and a 1,950% jump on Cyber Monday, signalling how quickly consumers are adopting AI-driven shopping.
More importantly, these visits are proving highly valuable. Adobe found that AI-referred shoppers:
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Spend 32% longer on sites
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View 10% more pages per session
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Bounce 27% less often than traditional visitors
Although conversion rates still trail standard traffic, the gap has narrowed significantly this year, suggesting AI referrals are maturing into a reliable revenue stream.
Shoppers are now turning to AI for product research, deal-finding, gift ideas, and personalised recommendations. Adobe’s survey found that more than one in three US consumers have already used AI in their shopping journey, with over half planning to do so this year.
For retailers, the shift marks a move beyond traditional SEO. As AI increasingly directs traffic, brands will need to optimise content for conversational queries and deliver more personalised experiences to stay competitive.
While Adobe’s data centres on the US, the trends are global. UK retailers are likely to see similar behaviour soon, with AI assistants embedded into browsers and shopping platforms rolling out locally. This means rethinking product content, discovery strategies, and customer engagement.
Supporting this, Retail Times reports that consumers are becoming more comfortable allowing AI to play a deeper role — from anticipating re-orders based on purchase history to suggesting complementary items.
Many are even open to AI placing orders on their behalf. Virtual try-ons, personalised alerts, and event-driven offers are fast shifting from “nice to have” to baseline expectation.
The message for retailers is an obvious one: AI-powered shopping is no longer on the horizon — it’s here, it’s sticky, and it’s reshaping the customer journey.
