A significant shift is underway in ecommerce, with about 38% of consumers already using generative AI for shopping and over half planning to do so soon, primarily for product research, deal hunting, and personalized recommendations.

Consumers report a notably improved shopping experience with AI, with 85% of users noting benefits and 73% relying on AI as their main source for product research.

This surge in AI-driven shopping presents both opportunities for personalized marketing and challenges, such as the need for retailers to adapt SEO strategies and manage potential margin pressures from price comparison tools.

AI is fundamentally transforming how consumers discover and shop for products, prompting retailers to strategically adapt to stay competitive in this evolving landscape.

While AI visits are slightly less likely to convert than non-AI visits—down from a 49% gap in January to 23% in July 2025—the revenue generated per AI visit has increased by 84%, indicating growing effectiveness.

This trend is expected to boost overall online spending, with industry forecasts predicting record-breaking ecommerce growth, especially during major sales events like Amazon Prime Day.

Major retailers such as Amazon are enhancing their recommendation engines with generative AI, while smaller players leverage AI analytics to better understand traffic patterns and consumer behavior.

Mobile AI shopping visits have risen from 18% in January to 26% in July 2025, reflecting a shift towards impulse purchases via mobile devices, which now account for a significant portion of AI-driven traffic.

The growth of AI shopping activity is staggering, with a 4,700% year-over-year increase in US retail site traffic driven by AI tools as of July 2025, a trend that accelerated during the 2024 holiday season and continues strongly into 2025.

AI visitors tend to be more engaged, viewing 32% more pages, with a 10% increase in engagement and 27% lower bounce rates, leading to higher conversion rates for retailers.

As conversational AI interfaces become standard, retailers must adapt to more complex queries and personalized recommendations to meet the expectations of AI-savvy consumers.

However, concerns about data privacy, AI recommendation accuracy, and the risk of eroding consumer trust remain, highlighting the need for responsible AI deployment.