Generative AI is transforming consumers’ shopping, travel, and financial patterns. New data from Adobe reveals the impact chatbots have on online purchase behavior. The company found that between November 1 and December 31, 2024, Gen AI sources sent a 1,300 percent increase in traffic to U.S. retailers. And, when observed over seven months, Adobe discovered Gen AI generated a 1,200 percent traffic spike, suggesting a behavioral shift not limited to the holidays.
Gen AI Powers Shopping Discovery
Based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. consumers, 39 percent of respondents stated they used Gen AI to shop online, primarily for conducting research (55 percent), getting product recommendations (47 percent), finding deals (43 percent), getting present ideas (35 percent), discovering unique products (35 percent), and creating a shopping list (33 percent).
Adobe notes that although Gen AI was a significant traffic referrer, its ability to convert consumers into buyers falls short (9 percent less likely) compared to other traffic sources. However, that gap is getting smaller, which Adobe pointed out “reinforces that AI is being utilized during the research and consideration stage, in advance of when shoppers are ready to hit the buy button. But the narrowing gap shows that consumers are also increasingly comfortable completing a transaction directly after an AI-powered chat experience.”
Although Gen AI still lags in buyer conversion, it leads to higher engagement on retail websites than paid search, affiliate links, email, organic search, and social media. Adobe states there’s an 8 percent boost in engagement from AI, resulting in 12 percent more pages per visit and a 23 percent lower bounce rate.
“Online shoppers are finding value in using an AI-powered chat interface, as it shortens the time it takes for them to receive information that is personalized to their needs,” Vivek Pandya, the lead analyst for Adobe Digital Insights, said in a statement. “In our survey, we found that of those who have used AI for shopping, 92 [percent] said it enhanced their experience, with 87 [percent] saying that they are more likely to use AI for larger or more complex purchases.”
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Gen AI’s Growing Adoption in Other Industries
Beyond shopping, people’s behaviors regarding travel planning and managing personal finances have also been impacted. In February 2025, Gen AI sources drove a 1,700 percent increase in traffic to U.S. travel, leisure, and hospitality websites from July 2024. Consumers said they used AI for general research (54 percent), travel inspiration (43 percent), finding local food recommendations (43 percent), transportation planning (41 percent), itinerary creation (37 percent), budget management (31 percent), and packing assistance (20 percent).
As for personal financing, U.S. banking sites benefited from a 1,200 percent traffic surge during the same timeframe. Consumers reported using Gen AI for checking and savings account recommendations (42 percent), asking for explainers on investment strategies and terminology (40 percent), creating a personalized budget (39 percent), and understanding the tax implications of financial decisions (35 percent).
The Growing Threat to Search
Adobe’s report is further evidence of AI’s disruption of traditional search. While it doesn’t disclose the specific Gen AI sources, one could infer that it’s probably applications like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude.
The findings should not surprise anyone. When researching a. trip earlier this year to Breckenridge, Colorado, I consulted ChatGPT and Google Gemini for shopping recommendations, a list of things to do, the best places for nature photography, hiking trails, transportation options, and more. The responses I received led me to discover new websites, saving me valuable search time, and delivered specific products I was looking for.
“It’s a very exciting time in what’s happening around AI and search,” BrightEdge Chief Executive Jim Yu told me in April 2024. His enterprise SEO firm had just released a study showing that Perplexity doesn’t necessarily threaten the amount of web traffic companies receive. “For the past couple of decades, the search model has incrementally evolved. Now, there’s a big change: Search is fundamentally disrupted with new AI models.”
He believes what’s happening now is a “searchquake,” the result of AI search engines “shaking up everyone’s SEO and content strategy.” Therefore, Adobe’s report should be viewed by marketers as a reminder: It’s time to rethink trying to optimize exclusively for Google. Instead, it’s probably best to ensure content is tailored to high-intent keywords and complex queries suitable for AI prompts.
Featured Image: An AI-generated image of a virtual assistant on a smartphone assisting with shopping. Credit: Adobe Firefly
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