U.S. shoppers who use large language models, including Google's Gemini or OpenAI's ChatGPT, for purchase recommendations are lingering more on retailers' websites and are more likely to spend, according to May data from Adobe Analytics.

Consumers who are referred to retail websites from LLMs generated 53 per cent more revenue per visit than shoppers from non-AI sources, the data firm said, emphasizing the need for brands to invest in AI-readable webpages.

Retailers whose products show up in LLM suggestions are able to "drive more personalization" to shoppers who leave the platforms to complete their purchases on the native websites, Vivek Pandya, director of digital insights at Adobe, said. 

• AI traffic to retail websites increased 138 per cent in May from last year, the highest share of total retail visits since Adobe Analytics began tracking in October 2024.

• Retail website visitors recommended by AI converted at a rate 54 per cent higher than online shoppers from non-AI sources did in May.

• Shoppers referred to e-commerce websites spent 53 per cent more time on the sites than visitors from other sources.

• AI-referred shoppers also visit more retail webpages than non-AI referred visitors.

Source: Reuters
– Agencies