Similarly, Amazon’s new AI chatbot, Rufus, proved instrumental to collecting sales through the most recent Black Friday shopping day. By assisting shoppers in finding products, providing personalized recommendations, and facilitating product comparisons, Rufus enhanced the overall shopping experience for many customers. The results were clear, at one point Amazon saw a tremendous 20% uplift in total website sessions day over day.
On Black Friday, sessions with Rufus increased by 35%! This upward trend is a sign of how consumers are taking advantage of AI tools, especially as they kick off their holiday shopping. In the U.S., sessions that converted to purchases doubled, a 100% increase from the previous 30 days. In comparison, sessions leading to a sale not attributed to Rufus increased by just 20%.
The success of Rufus is part of a growing consumer trend toward the use of AI technology to make shopping more efficient and convenient. According to our research, U.S. shoppers who have used AI services to visit retail websites are 38% more likely to complete a purchase. By comparison, visitors coming through non-AI channels didn’t convert into buyers as often. AI has a significant role to play here, especially when it comes to guiding consumers’ purchasing decisions during the holiday rush.
The release of Rufus caused an incredible spike in Amazon app downloads. Over the holiday period, these downloads went up by a whopping 50%! Rival retail behemoth Walmart had just as outstanding growth too, with a 75% app download growth. Even with those advances, total visits and downloads are on the decline. In 2024, they saw unprecedented growth, with an amazing 95% increase in downloads and total visits increasing by 130%!
The numbers paint a mixed picture for e-commerce. Retail mobile app and website usage jumped dramatically on Black Friday from just a month before. Yet, those growth rates failed to keep pace with the double-digit increases experienced back in 2024. These figures reflect an immense opportunity to adapt to new consumer expectations and preferences in a fast-changing digital store experience.