AI Traffic to US Retailers Rose 393% in Q1, and It’s Boosting Their Revenue Too

AI-Powered Shopping Surges in 2026

Data from Adobe reveals that, as of March 2026, traffic from AI sources to U.S. retailer websites increased by 269% over the previous year, building on strong gains during the recent holiday season. The first quarter of 2026 saw an even more impressive 393% year-over-year jump as more consumers embraced AI assistants for online shopping.

AI Visitors Deliver Higher Value

Not only are AI-driven visits up, but they are also proving more valuable to retailers. Adobe’s analysis, which examines over 1 trillion visits to retail sites and surveys thousands of consumers, indicates that AI shoppers convert 42% better than human visitors as of March 2026—a complete turnaround from the prior year, when AI-driven visits converted 38% worse than those of regular shoppers.

• AI-powered traffic engagement rates were 12% higher than non-AI sources.
• These visitors browsed 13% more pages per session and spent 48% longer on sites.
• Revenue per visit from AI traffic was 37% higher compared to non-AI traffic.

Most surveyed shoppers (39%) reported using AI for online purchases, with 85% saying AI improved their experience. Many noted that AI helped them quickly narrow product choices and find deals. Additionally, 66% now trust AI's shopping recommendations to be accurate.

Retailers Must Adapt to AI

While AI traffic is a major growth driver, Adobe cautions that not all retailer sites are AI-ready. About 25% of homepage and category content isn’t optimized for large language models, and 34% of product pages are inaccessible to AI tools. Adobe recommends retailers enhance their website accessibility for AI if they want to stay competitive as online shopping habits evolve.

For the original article and more details, visit TechCrunch.