New research from Adobe Analytics reveals a staggering 1200 percent increase in visits to retail websites utilizing artificial intelligence from July 2024 to February 2025. The growth intensified during the bustling holiday shopping season, witnessing an explosive 1300 percent jump compared to the previous year. Notably, on Cyber Monday, AI-driven visits surged by an astonishing 1950 percent year-on-year.
Adobe notes that while visits facilitated by AI remain a relatively small fraction of total traffic compared to conventional sources like Google Ads and email marketing, they have been doubling approximately every two months since September 2024. This consistent increase suggests a growing reliance on AI technology among consumers and retailers alike.
The tourism industry has experienced even more significant growth, with a 1700 percent surge in visits leveraging AI capabilities. The banking sector reported a similar 1200 percent growth, indicating a broad trend across various industries. In fact, a survey conducted by Adobe among 5000 U.S. consumers showed that 39 percent already utilize AI for online shopping and 53 percent intend to do so in 2025. Users often turn to AI for product research (55 percent), recommendations (47 percent), and finding deals (43 percent).
Furthermore, the reception of AI in shopping contexts has been overwhelmingly positive, with 92 percent of users offering favorable feedback, and 87 percent indicating a plan to continue using AI for their shopping journeys.
However, the dynamics change when considering conversion rates. Adobe's analysis highlights that purchases arising from AI inquiries still lag behind those from traditional searches, with the conversion rate for AI-assisted searches remaining 9 percent lower than that of their conventional counterparts. Nevertheless, this gap has narrowed significantly from 43 percent in mid-2024.
To visualize the growing impact, Adobe's research reviews more than one trillion visits to various websites, showcasing unique patterns in how AI users navigate retail sites. Notably, visitors arriving via AI searches display an 8 percent higher engagement level and explore 12 percent more pages per visit. Moreover, these users are 23 percent less likely to abandon a site immediately, which indicates a more engaged browsing experience.
Despite these promising engagement metrics, the ultimate hurdle remains—converting visits into actual purchases. Purchases stemming from AI searches continue to be lower than those generated by traditional methods; however, the conversion gap has notably shrunk, signaling a gradual acceptance of AI in the retail landscape.
In a parallel study focusing on AI-driven search queries, Adobe found that many shoppers are adapting to this technology. The initial finding suggests that while many users enjoy the advantages of using AI, particularly for researching products and making informed decisions, actual purchase behavior has yet to catch up.
At a glance, the implications of these findings can be seen as a pivotal moment for retail and technology. As Adobe points out, understanding consumer behavior in relation to AI tools will be crucial for retailers planning their strategies in the upcoming year.
In further exploration of this technological shift in shopping behavior, the introduction of Google’s experimental ‘AI Mode’ powered by Gemini 2.0 indicates an emerging trend towards AI-assisted search. This could redefine how users seek out content online.
In the competitive sphere of AI-led searches, content licensing firm TollBit reports that AI search engines from OpenAI and Perplexity direct 96 percent fewer visitors to news sites and blogs compared to traditional Google searches. This shift in traffic dynamics could have profound implications for the broader internet ecosystem.
In summary, the rise of AI in consumer shopping behavior hasn't just revolutionized how retail interactions happen but also highlights the necessity for businesses to adapt swiftly to these new trends. Embracing AI isn't just an option anymore—it's a necessity for staying relevant in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
