AI is moving from an experimental shopping tool to a reliable source of traffic for retailers, and the “high-intent” shoppers it sends to brands’ websites are buying.
AI-referred traffic to U.S. retail sites rose 62 percent year-over-year in July, while those visits converted at a rate 60 percent higher than traffic from non-AI sources, according to new data from Adobe released Wednesday.
It marked the 11th consecutive month in which AI traffic outperformed other channels on conversion rates.
“It’s not just about discovery, but the people that are coming to a brand’s own site or storefront, they’re converting at a higher rate,” said Loni Stark, vice president of strategy and product at Adobe.
The customers landing through AI are also more engaged, Adobe’s data said. Based on more than 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, it found that AI-referred visitors spent 59 percent more time on retailers’ websites and were 33 percent less likely to bounce. They also added products to their carts at a 28 percent higher rate.
