One of the major trends Adobe observed during the 2024 holiday shopping season (Nov-Dec) was the usage of generative AI-powered chat services and browsers. Data from Adobe showed a major increase in AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites, as consumers leaned on these tools to research products, find discounts, and look for gift ideas. Adobe issued a report today that shows continued momentum in AI-powered shopping, with new data through July 2025.

Adobe’s insights are based on direct transactions online, covering over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites—more than any other technology company or research organization. A companion survey of more than 5,000 U.S. respondents provides an additional layer of context on how consumers are leveraging AI in their online shopping journey.

Generative AI cements its role in online shopping.

During the holiday shopping season, Adobe observed the first material surge in generative AI traffic to U.S. retail sites (measured by shoppers clicking on a link). Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, traffic from generative AI sources increased by 1,300% year-over-year (YoY). On Cyber Monday, generative AI traffic was up 1,950% YoY. And while generative AI traffic remains modest compared to other channels, such as paid search or email, the uptick has been notable.

New data from Adobe shows that generative AI traffic has grown substantially in recent months, rising 4,700% YoY in July 2025. Growth remained strong in the beginning of the year—following the holiday shopping season—with generative AI traffic up 1,100% in January 2025 and up 3,100% in April 2025 (the January and April figures are compared to July 2024, as generative AI traffic was too minimal to serve as a baseline before that time).

In Adobe’s survey of 5,000 U.S. consumers, 38% report having used generative AI for online shopping, with 52% planning to do so this year. The shopping tasks consumers are using AI for range from conducting research (per 53% of respondents) and receiving product recommendations (40%) to seeking deals (36%), creating shopping lists (30%), getting present ideas (30%), finding unique products (29%), and virtual try-on (26%).

AI-driven revenue on the rise for U.S. retailers.

Adobe is also sharing new data on what happens when shoppers land on a retail site, after interacting with a generative AI-powered chat service or browser. The data is compared to non-AI traffic sources (including paid search, affiliates & partners, email, organic search, and social media), to profile the shift in consumer behaviors.

Shoppers who arrive from generative AI sources are 10% more engaged compared to non-AI sources. This means they are exploring more content on the retail site, with 32% longer visits (and 10% more pages per visit). They are also less likely to leave immediately, with a 27% lower bounce rate. This indicates that with AI tools, shoppers are becoming more informed and focusing on the most relevant retailers during the research/consideration phase. Per Adobe’s survey: Of those who have used AI for shopping, 85% of respondents note it improved their shopping experience, with 73% citing it as their primary source of product research. Additionally, 83% say they are more likely to use AI for larger or more complex purchases.

At the same time, conversion (visits that become purchases) trails behind non-AI traffic sources. However, that gap has been narrowing; In July 2025, traffic from generative AI sources was 23% less likely to convert, down from 49% in January 2025 and 38% in April 2025. The conversion gap reinforces that AI is being utilized more during the research and consideration stage, in advance of when shoppers are ready to hit the buy button. But the improvement in recent months shows that consumers are increasingly comfortable completing a transaction directly after an AI-powered chat or browser experience.

As a result of the narrowing conversion gap, AI-driven revenue-per-visit has grown in recent months, increasing by 84% from January 2025 to July 2025 (compared to non-AI sources). This means that in July 2025, an AI-driven visit is worth just 27% less than a non-AI visit, a dramatic improvement from a year ago (97% less in July 2024). This is also expected to increase as consumers use generative AI tools on mobile devices, where more impulse shopping tends to happen. In July 2025, 26% of traffic from generative AI sources came through mobile (vs. desktop)—up from 18% in January 2025.

With consumers embracing conversational interfaces to handle daily tasks like online shopping, businesses are having to rethink how they engage their different audiences. This is especially trust with the arrival of AI agents that will be able to handle more complex tasks and make highly tailored recommendations.

For more reports from Adobe Digital Insights on the changing digital economy, visit here.

Vivek Pandya is Director of Adobe Digital Insights (ADI), which publishes research on digital marketing and other topics of interest to senior marketing and e-commerce executives across industries.

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