AI in Ecommerce Statistics

Last updated 2026-06-27 · Compiled from public, third-party sources

AI and AI agents influenced an estimated $229 billion of global online holiday sales in 2024 - roughly 19% of all online orders, according to Salesforce. Generative AI is reshaping how online retailers create product content, personalize storefronts, and convert shoppers, with traffic from generative AI tools to U.S. retail sites surging hundreds of percent year over year. Below are sourced statistics on AI adoption, revenue impact, and market growth in ecommerce.

Key Takeaways

  • AI and agents influenced ~$229 billion (19%) of global online holiday orders in 2024 (Salesforce).
  • Generative AI tools drove a 693.4% increase in traffic to retail sites during the 2025 holiday season (Adobe).
  • 65% of organizations regularly used generative AI in at least one business function in 2024, up from ~33% (McKinsey).
  • Generative AI could add $400B-$660B in annual operating profits for retail and CPG companies (McKinsey).
  • 97% of surveyed SMB Shopify merchants planned to incorporate AI into operations in 2024 (Shopify).

The Statistics

~$229 billion (19%) of global online holiday orders were influenced by AI and agents in 2024
Via product recommendations, targeted offers, and conversational service across 1.5B+ shoppers on the Salesforce platform.
Source: Salesforce (2025)
AI-influenced purchases rose to 19% of holiday orders, a 6% increase from 2023
Reflects growing consumer engagement with AI and agents during the holiday season.
Source: Salesforce (2025)
Shoppers used AI- and agent-powered chat for customer service 42% more than the 2023 holiday season
Retail use of generative AI features like agents rose 25% during the holiday season versus Sept-Oct 2024.
Source: Salesforce (2025)
Generative AI tools drove a 693.4% increase in traffic to retail sites in the 2025 holiday season
Cyber Monday alone saw generative AI traffic up 670% year over year.
Source: Adobe Analytics (2026)
Traffic from generative AI sources to U.S. retail sites jumped 1,200% year over year
Measured in early 2025, signaling the rapid rise of AI tools as a shopping discovery channel.
Source: Adobe Analytics (2025)
U.S. online holiday spend hit a record $257.8 billion in 2025, up 6.8% year over year
AI tools increasingly shaped product discovery across electronics, toys, and personal care.
Source: Adobe Analytics (2026)
65% of organizations regularly used generative AI in at least one business function in 2024
Roughly double the ~33% reported the prior year, marking gen AI's move into the mainstream.
Source: McKinsey (2024)
Generative AI could add $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion annually across 63 use cases
About 75% of that value concentrates in customer operations, marketing and sales, software engineering, and R&D.
Source: McKinsey (2023)
Retail and CPG companies could gain $400 billion to $660 billion in additional annual operating profits from generative AI
Driven largely by customer-facing functions such as marketing and sales.
Source: McKinsey (2023)
Fast-growing companies derive 40% more of their revenue from personalization than slower-growing peers
Personalization contributes proportionally more to revenue at faster-growing firms.
Source: McKinsey
Personalization can deliver 10% to 30% improvements in marketing ROI
AI-driven targeting and recommendations are a key lever for these gains.
Source: McKinsey
72% of U.S. digital retailers cite generative AI and personalization as having the most significant impact on operations
Highlights where retailers see the biggest AI payoff.
Source: eMarketer / Insider Intelligence
Two-thirds of retailers intend to increase their generative AI budgets over the next year
Signals sustained investment momentum across the sector.
Source: McKinsey
Almost 50% of ecommerce sellers use AI to write product descriptions
Product copy is among the most common generative AI use cases in ecommerce content workflows.
Source: Shopify
62% of B2C marketing leaders say their organizations use generative AI for content creation and optimization
Content production is a leading application area for marketing teams.
Source: Shopify
71% of marketing leaders said their organizations regularly used gen AI in at least one business function in 2025, up from 65% in 2024
Marketing adoption continues to climb year over year.
Source: Shopify / McKinsey
97% of surveyed SMB Shopify merchants planned to incorporate AI into their operations in 2024
Small and mid-sized merchants are adopting AI tools at high rates.
Source: Shopify (2024)
78% of SMBs using AI say it will be a game-changer for their business
And 87% report AI helps them scale their operations.
Source: Shopify
75% of small and medium-sized businesses were at least experimenting with AI tools as of 2024
Experimentation is now near-universal across smaller online retailers.
Source: Shopify (2024)
63% of retail companies use AI to assist customers, and 40% have dedicated departments and budgets for it
Customer service and support are core AI deployment areas in retail.
Source: Master of Code / industry survey
Gartner predicted chatbots would become the primary customer service channel for ~25% of organizations by 2027
Conversational AI is set to take over a meaningful share of service interactions.
Source: Gartner (2022)
Retail and ecommerce account for 28.4% of total chatbot usage
The sector is among the heaviest users of conversational AI.
Source: Industry chatbot data
The global AI-in-ecommerce market was about $5.79 billion in 2023, projected to reach ~$50.98 billion by 2033 (CAGR 24.3%)
Reflects rapid expansion of AI tooling across online retail.
Source: Market.us (2024)
The generative AI content creation market was estimated at $14.8 billion in 2024, projected to reach $80.12 billion by 2030 (CAGR 32.5%)
Content generation - including product imagery and copy - is a fast-growing AI segment.
Source: Grand View Research (2024)
AI-powered content generation can reduce campaign production time by 40-60%
Efficiency gains apply to ad copy, email, product descriptions, and video scripts.
Source: Grand View Research

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much ecommerce revenue does AI influence?
Salesforce estimated that AI and AI agents influenced about $229 billion of global online holiday orders in 2024 - roughly 19% of all online orders - through product recommendations, targeted offers, and conversational service.
How fast is generative AI traffic to retail sites growing?
Adobe Analytics reported that generative AI tools drove a 693.4% increase in traffic to retail sites during the 2025 holiday season, and traffic from generative AI sources to U.S. retail sites jumped roughly 1,200% year over year in early 2025.
How many retailers and merchants are adopting AI?
According to McKinsey, 65% of organizations regularly used generative AI in at least one business function in 2024, up from about 33% the prior year. Shopify data shows 97% of surveyed SMB merchants planned to incorporate AI into operations in 2024, and 75% of SMBs were at least experimenting with AI tools.
What is AI worth to retail and ecommerce?
McKinsey estimates generative AI could add $2.6-$4.4 trillion annually across use cases, with retail and CPG companies specifically gaining $400-$660 billion in additional annual operating profits, largely from marketing and sales.
How do retailers use AI for product content?
Almost 50% of ecommerce sellers use AI to write product descriptions, and 62% of B2C marketing leaders use generative AI for content creation and optimization. The generative AI content creation market was estimated at $14.8 billion in 2024.
Does AI personalization actually improve sales?
McKinsey research indicates personalization can deliver 10-30% improvements in marketing ROI, and that fast-growing companies derive 40% more of their revenue from personalization than slower-growing peers.
Can AI tools help create ecommerce product photos and videos?
Yes. Beyond text, generative AI now produces visual content at scale - PixelPanda, for example, offers AI-generated product photos and video for online retailers, reflecting the broader shift toward AI-driven product content highlighted in these statistics.