Generative AI becomes go-to shopping assistant for US consumers: Adobe

Adobe’s survey found that 39 per cent consumers have used generative AI for online shopping, with 53 per cent planning to use it this year.

The conversion rates from generative AI traffic are highest in electronics and jewellery, while notably lower in categories like apparel, home goods, and groceries, Adobe said in its survey.

Between November 1 and December 31, 2024, traffic from generative AI sources to US websites saw a dramatic rise, increasing by 1,300 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. On Cyber Monday alone, generative AI-driven traffic surged by 1,950 per cent year-over-year (YoY), highlighting a substantial growth trend in AI-generated engagement, the survey noted.

The trend has persisted beyond the holiday season. In February 2025, traffic from generative AI sources increased by 1,200 per cent compared to July 2024. This shows the shift in consumer behaviours over a seven-month period. And while generative AI traffic remains modest compared to other channels, such as paid search or email, its growth has been notable doubling every two months since September 2024.

From November 2024 to February 2025, most of the traffic from generative AI sources came via desktop devices, accounting for 86 per cent, compared to a much lower share from mobile. This suggests that consumers prefer using laptops or desktops for AI-driven interactions, likely due to the ease of having more fluid conversations. In contrast, overall e-commerce activity during the same period saw desktops contribute just 34 per cent of visits.

The retail insights are based on analysis of more than 1 trillion visits to US retail sites and the survey sample was 5,000 consumers from the US.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (SG)