American consumers who rely on artificial intelligence tools to help them decide what to buy are proving to be more valuable customers for online retailers, according to new data released in May by Adobe Analytics.
Shoppers who landed on retail websites after receiving product suggestions from large language models — such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini — generated 53% more revenue per visit compared to shoppers who arrived from traditional, non-AI sources.
Vivek Pandya, director of digital insights at Adobe, noted that retailers whose products appear in AI-generated recommendations are better positioned to offer more personalized experiences to shoppers who then leave those AI platforms to complete their purchases directly on a retailer’s own website.
The data also showed that AI-driven traffic to retail websites surged 138% in May compared to the same time last year — the largest share of total retail visits recorded since Adobe Analytics began monitoring this trend in October 2024.
Additional findings from the report include:
Shoppers referred by AI tools converted into buyers at a rate 54% higher than those coming from non-AI sources. They also spent 53% more time browsing retail websites and visited more pages per session than visitors who arrived through other channels.
The data underscores a growing incentive for brands to ensure their web content is optimized and readable by AI systems, as more consumers turn to these tools at the start of their shopping journey.
