Adobe’s new, expanded Prime Day analysis indicates that sales will set new records this year. So this new surge is propelled largely by the back-to-school push and increased shopper support from generative AI technology. Our analysis includes data across over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail websites. It further analyzes 100 million SKUs across 18 product categories.
A new poll announced last week, conducted by Adobe of 5,000 U.S. consumers. It discovered that a staggering 55% of respondents had utilized generative AI to conduct research prior to their purchases. This often unnoticed trend marks a seismic shift in the way consumers are behaving. Consumers are conditioned to search for AI to help them understand product, price, and availability. 47% of respondents used generative AI to make product recommendations, showing increasing confidence in AI-recommended products.
Additionally, it found that 43% of respondents use generative AI to find new deals. Smartphone apps and technology have become an increasingly important asset to consumers looking to save a buck. Moreover, 35% of respondents are doing AI-generated gift ideas and searching for unique products. At the same time, 33% of Americans use AI to generate their grocery shopping lists. This complex engagement helps to reinforce the idea that generative AI is quickly becoming a fundamental component of the shopping journey.
In the days leading into Prime Day, Adobe observed a significant jump in traffic from chatbots and browsers powered by generative AI. In the 2024 holiday season, traffic was up an incredible 1,300% year-over-year. This amazing upsurge serves to underscore and illustrate the massive growing consumer adoption of these technologies.
Adobe’s forecasts suggest that mobile shopping will dominate this year’s sales, accounting for more than half (52.5%) of all purchases made during Prime Day. The five-week-old company has said it anticipates Prime Day to be the equivalent of hosting “two Black Fridays.” That just shows the huge opportunity retailers have to engage with consumers during this busy shopping period.
The economic impact is tremendous, with $23.8 billion in retail spending projected during the four-day period that includes Prime Day. This figure is a staggering 28.4% increase over last year. That comes to a net increase of $9.6 billion over this period.