The trend: AI is rapidly reshaping how consumers discover and buy products, with a growing share turning to these tools to learn about, evaluate, and compare options.

• Case in point: 44% of consumers who have used AI tools say they’ve turned to them for product recommendations or comparisons—the third-most common use case behind drafting documents and creating images, per Bazaarvoice’s Consumer Survey: GEO Shopping.
• Nearly half (48%) of AI users say AI-based assistance—ranging from checkout chatbots to discount optimizers—has directly influenced their final purchase decision.

The forecast: AI’s rapidly growing influence on ecommerce is reflected in our new AI platform-driven ecommerce forecast, which measures the impact of third-party AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity, including onsite purchases and referred sales. It excludes retailer-native AI tools like Amazon’s Rufus and AI-influenced browsing that doesn’t immediately result in a purchase.