Reasons Shoppers Prefer AI Assistants

Adobe reported that Amazon saw a 3,300% YoY increase in referral traffic from shoppers using GenAI-powered chat services as 'shopping assistants' on Prime Day 🤯 Last year, it was 'only' a 1,300% YoY increase, so it's not just that the rate of change is staggering, it's accelerating, with the growth rate itself more than doubling YoY. Even more striking is that the AI-referred sessions converted at 9x 📈 the rate of traffic referred by traditional Google search or direct traffic. I mean, imagine what retailers and brands are investing today to try and even get a 10% improvement in conversion rates. Adobe also cited a survey of 5,000 US consumers: 👉 55% of respondents were using GenAI for research 👉 47% for product recommendations 👉 43% for finding deals 👉 35% for gift ideas 👉 35% for finding unique products 👉 33% for creating shopping lists 92% also said it enhanced their purchase experience and 87% said they were more likely to use AI for larger or more complex purchases. Look, I know the dollar values are still de minimis right now, but these are just staggering stats that are impossible to ignore. Every C-level exec I speak with in retail is trying to figure out their strategy to get ahead of this right now. The way I describe it to them is it's ok, we're not even in the first inning yet - we're organizing in the dugout, but if you don't have a clear strategy around this in your 2026 plan, you're going to be at risk of getting left behind and having terms dictated to you vs being in the driver's seat.

With each passing day, more and more buyers would rather engage with AI than a human. On one hand, it's hard to believe. But on the other, the trendline becomes obvious with a closer look. Check out these profound stats from a recent study by Microsoft: 🧠 81% of AI users say, “I can ask as many follow-up questions as I want without feeling bad.” 🧠 78% say, “AI doesn’t judge me like a person would.” Wow. Let that sink in for a minute. When it comes to buying something, we *hate* the feeling of being judged. And we crave *safety* more than small talk. Is this scary for brands? Potentially, yes. Very much so in fact. Which is exactly why every business needs to sit with these two questions: 1️⃣ Do your buyers ever feel judged when they engage with your team? 2️⃣ Are you seriously preparing for a future where AI-first communication isn’t optional... but expected? I’m not here to celebrate this btw. But I’m also not here to deny it. Because this isn’t just the coming reality... It’s already here.

The way we shop online is fundamentally changing, and it's about time! Our latest research reveals that 93% of shoppers now consider conversational capabilities important, with nearly half already using natural language when searching. We're literally watching consumers relearn how to shop like humans again, moving away from the robotic keywords we've all been trained to use. The most telling stat? 97% of shoppers who've used an AI shopping assistant found it helpful, and 77% say it helped them buy faster. Commerce isn't just digital anymore, it's conversational. Check out our full report to see how brands can win (or lose) in this new era of shopping experiences. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eRjarrN9 #ConversationalCommerce #AIRetail #Ecommerce #CustomerExperience