When you think of AI chatbots on retailer sites, you may think of the annoying pop-up that typically interrupts your shopping experience. However, people are now turning to generative AI chatbots to help inform buying decisions, which, in turn, is bringing more traffic from those AI tools to retailers, according to new Adobe Analytics data.
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On Monday, Adobe shared new research that deep-dives into the impact of generative AI on the digital economy. The research analyzes more than one trillion visits to US retail sites and a companion survey of more than 5,000 US respondents. The results show that consumers are turning to AI as a trusted shopping assistant.
"I would say, from our survey data, we do see a lot of users and consumers out there who are very trusting in the results from the generative AI-assisted platforms," said Vivek Pandya, manager of Adobe Digital Insights, who publishes the research, to ZDNET. "They're prioritizing frequency and efficiency."
Of the respondents, 39% have used generative AI for online shopping. The top use cases were conducting research, receiving product recommendations, seeking deals, and getting present ideas. Most of the respondents (53%) intend to use AI for online shopping this year. These use cases have materialized into real gains.
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During the holiday shopping season, Adobe tracked the first surge in generative AI traffic to US retail sites, which was measured by shoppers clicking on a link from one of these AI assistants. Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, traffic from generative AI sources increased by 1,300% from the year prior, increasing a whopping 1,950% on Cyber Monday alone.
Beyond the holiday season, the study found that traffic from generative AI sources increased by 1,200% in February 2025 compared to July 2024. Although this traffic remains low compared to other more established traffic drivers, such as paid search, it is growing at a noteworthy speed, doubling every two months since Sept. 2024, according to the post.
As seen by the graph below, travel has seen the biggest uptick out of the other industries, increasing by 1,700% from July 2024 to February 2025, including visits to US travel, leisure, and hospitality sites. The retail and banking industries saw an increase of 1,200%.
For banking, in particular, the top use cases were getting recommendations for checking and savings accounts, asking for explainers on financial terms or strategies, and creating a personalized budget, according to the report.
Once the users leave their AI chatbot interface, there are also some wins there, with 8% higher engagement, 12% more pages per visit, and a 23% lower bounce rate. However, in terms of conversion, the traffic from generative AI sources is 9% less likely to convert compared to alternatives. Notably, that number is up from 43% in July 2024, showing consumers are rapidly warming up to the idea.
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"This is quality traffic that retailers and brands very strategically about engaging, because it's converting effectively," said Pandya. "So the opportunity then comes up once they're now in your ecosystem, from one of these AI assistant sources, how can you nurture that relationship and have long-term, repeat purchases."
While there may be concerns about generative AI models accessing your site, allowing them to showcase your products can drive valuable traffic similar to search or social media. It's then up to the company to convert and retain those users.
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