According to a recent report from Apptopia, AI chatbot usage is skyrocketing. Specifically, ChatGPT is being used to further personalize and improve e-commerce experiences. Consumers are using digital assistants such as ChatGPT for shopping assistance like never before. Therefore, referrals to retail apps from ChatGPT have increased by 28% year-over-year. The report provides an overview of this important data collected between November 1 and December 1. That was at a pretty insane 760% increase, relatively, for AI traffic during the holiday shopping rush.
Sarah, who has worked for TechCrunch since August 2011, is well versed in the evolution that has been taking place in technology and consumer behavior. She has over 30 years of expertise working in the private and public IT sector. Prior to her journalism career, she worked throughout the technological and entrepreneurial industries, banking, retail, and in startups. Sarah’s background provides her with a unique perspective on the intersection of technology and commerce, making her insights particularly valuable in this evolving landscape.
According to Apptopia, a referral session means the user has taken some action within a retailer’s mobile app. This action takes place within 30 seconds of a user starting their first session on ChatGPT. Common data such as ChatGPT telling users to check out e commerce apps last Black Friday would raise a flag. These referrals made up just 0.64% of all ChatGPT sessions. At the same time, this figure grew to 0.82% this year, representing an important and long-term move towards changing consumer behavior.
The report dives deeper into popular ChatGPT referrals, analyzing which retailers have the largest share of market due to ChatGPT referrals. Unsurprisingly, Amazon continues to crush the market this year, generating 54% of all referrals. This is a major jump from its 40.5% all-time high share in 2024. On the other hand, Walmart had an unprecedented surge in its referrals, going from 2.7% last year to 14.9% this year.
Apptopia’s results are a product of its U.S. panel, which is rooted in observed consumer behavior on mobile devices. One caveat to keep in mind is that these figures are just estimates, as they use third-party data. The limitations notwithstanding, the trends we’ve pointed out are a useful window into the future of how AI technology is starting to impact shopping behaviors.
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