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AI Drives Dramatic Surge in Online Retail Traffic and Engagement

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In a significant shift in the e-commerce landscape, Adobe reports a substantial increase in AI-driven traffic to U.S. retailers' websites. Key findings from the report include:

  • AI traffic to retailers surged by 269% compared to the previous year, with a peak of 693% during the holiday season.
  • In early 2026, AI-driven interactions had risen by 393% from the same period the previous year.
  • Adobe's data highlights improved conversion rates and higher engagement among AI visitors, with traffic converting 42% better than human visitors as of March 2026.
  • AI engagements resulted in higher revenue per visit, with an increase of 37% against non-AI traffic by March 2026.
  • The report cites a survey in which 39% of participants used AI for shopping, and 85% noted improved shopping experiences due to AI.
  • Challenges remain, as 25% of homepage content on retailers' sites and 34% of product pages are not optimized for AI, indicating an area for improvement to harness AI-driven benefits fully.