Salesforce’s analysis, based on data from 1.5 billion global shoppers across Commerce Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, and Agentforce, shows AI-driven and agent-referred traffic is transforming how consumers shop.
AI-assisted traffic jumped 119 per cent YoY in H1 2025, with conversion rates more than 700 per cent higher than social media traffic and 200 per cent higher than traditional channels like search and direct, Salesforce said in a release.
AI tools are increasingly being used for product discovery, with 17 per cent of consumers using AI assistants or LLMs for searches in the past year, and trust in these recommendations surging to 86 per cent from 46 per cent in May. Retailers are being urged to embrace generative engine optimisation (GEO) — or AI optimisation (AIO) — to ensure product listings and promotions are discoverable in AI-driven search results.
Salesforce highlights thriftiness and sustainability as major drivers this season, with $64 billion in holiday sales projected from the resale market. Forty-six per cent of consumers plan to gift second-hand items, mainly to save money amid trade and tariff uncertainty. Seventy-seven per cent of shoppers are expected to hold off on major purchases until Cyber Week, reinforcing its importance.
Despite surging digital sales, physical retail remains crucial, especially for Gen Z. Three in four Gen Z shoppers plan to shop in stores, and for every $1 they spend online, they are projected to spend $3 in physical stores. Retailers are being encouraged to create seamless omnichannel experiences to capture this generation both online and offline.
Retailers are likely to scale back discounts, with 2 per cent fewer orders expected to include promo codes due to rising supply chain costs. Meanwhile, AI-powered customer service is set to grow 39 per cent this season, helping reduce routine interactions and driving a 2.5 per cent decline in overall service cases. This will free human agents to focus on more complex issues.
Salesforce advises retailers to adopt an AI-first mindset to capture their share of the forecast growth. Integrating AI across product discovery, promotions, and customer support will be key to maximising conversion rates and enhancing the shopping journey from browsing to checkout.
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