While online shoppers once relied on search engines and store websites to find products, artificial intelligence has quietly become their new shopping companion. In July 2025, AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites skyrocketed an incredible 4,700% compared to the same month the previous year. This dramatic surge shows that shoppers are embracing AI tools faster than retailers expected.
AI has transformed from a futuristic concept into shoppers’ trusted companion, revolutionizing how consumers discover and purchase products online.
The numbers tell a compelling story about changing shopping habits. Over 92% of consumers have encountered AI while shopping online, and 76% actually want AI-powered shopping assistants to help them browse and buy. For younger shoppers, the adoption rates are even higher, with 58% of Millennials either using AI to shop or planning to start soon.
What makes AI shopping particularly interesting is how deeply engaged these shoppers become. People arriving from AI sources spend 32% longer on retail websites and view 10% more pages than traditional shoppers. They’re like curious explorers, thoroughly investigating products before making decisions.
However, they’re also 23% less likely to actually buy something during their visit, though this gap has been shrinking steadily throughout 2025. Among grocery shoppers specifically, 57.8% expect AI to help them find deals and coupons during their shopping experience.
Mobile devices are driving much of this growth, with 26% of AI shopping traffic now coming from phones and tablets. This mobile trend is expected to boost impulse purchases, as people can quickly ask AI assistants about products while they’re out and about.
Retailers are taking notice and investing heavily in AI technology. An impressive 97% plan to increase their AI spending this year, focusing on areas like personalized recommendations and store analytics. Nearly three in five consumers are now replacing traditional search engines with generative AI for their shopping research. Like central banks adjusting interest rates to steer economic activity, retailers are using AI investments to guide consumer behavior and spending patterns.
The investment appears worthwhile, as retailers using AI saw 14.2% sales growth compared to just 6.9% for those not using these technologies.
The impact extends beyond individual stores. AI is projected to influence over $260 billion in global e-commerce during the 2025 holiday season alone. Amazon already credits AI product recommendations for 35% of its revenue, showing how powerful these tools can be for business growth.
As AI becomes more sophisticated and accessible, this shopping revolution is just getting started.
