As of March 2026, AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites surged by an astonishing 269% compared to the previous year, with holiday shopping seeing an even more remarkable 693% increase, according to recent findings from Adobe. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, AI traffic increased by 393% as consumers increasingly relied on AI assistants for online shopping.
Not only is there a noticeable shift in traffic sources, but the data indicates that visitors arriving through AI sources are also displaying markedly improved engagement. This includes higher conversion rates, longer time spent on sites, and increased revenue per visit, effectively inverting last year’s trend where traditional customers had greater value to retailers. Notably, in March 2026, AI-generated traffic converted 42% more effectively than traditional customers, a stark contrast to the 38% lower conversion rate AI traffic experienced just a year prior.
Adobe’s insights, derived from over a trillion visits across U.S. retail sites and a survey of more than 5,000 US shoppers, reveal that 39% of consumers employed AI for online shopping, with 85% reporting a better experience as a result. AI’s functionality in helping customers narrow down product choices and uncover discounts appears to be a significant factor in this positive reception, with 66% believing in the accuracy of AI shopping tools.
Contrarily, while AI is decreasing referral traffic for publishers, retailers are encouraged to optimise their websites for AI. The data suggests that consumers arriving via AI sources display 12% higher engagement rates, spend 48% more time on websites, and browse 13% more pages per visit. The revenue per visit from AI-driven traffic stands 37% higher than that from non-AI traffic, a reversal of the previous year’s instance in which human traffic was valued at 128% more than AI counterparts.
However, challenges remain. Adobe warns that nearly a quarter of retailer homepage content remains unoptimised for AI, with category and individual product pages faring even worse—34% of which are not easily accessible to AI tools. To maintain relevance with online shoppers, retailers are encouraged to enhance the accessibility of their sites for Large Language Models (LLMs).
In summary, the integration of AI technology in online retail is reshaping shopper engagement and driving significant shifts in consumer behaviour, requiring retailers to adapt to remain competitive.
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