ChatGPT Boosts Retail App Traffic

ChatGPT drove a 28% year-on-year increase in referrals to retail apps during the Black Friday weekend. Amazon and Walmart saw the most significant gains. Amazon's share of ChatGPT referrals increased from 40.5% to 54%, while Walmart's jumped from 2.7% to 14.9%. This indicates that AI-driven shopping is becoming more prevalent, with users increasingly turning to chatbots for purchasing advice.

Despite the growth, ChatGPT's overall impact on holiday shopping remains relatively small. Referrals from ChatGPT sessions to retail apps only accounted for 0.82% of total sessions, a slight increase from 0.64% the previous year. Data suggests that AI favours directing users to already dominant platforms. Other data shows AI-driven traffic to retail sites increased significantly, with shoppers from AI chatbots being more likely to make purchases.

These trends highlight the increasing role of AI in shaping online shopping behaviour, with conversational AI emerging as a key battleground for retail dominance. While smaller retailers may benefit, the majority of AI-driven traffic is concentrated among industry giants.