AI traffic to US retailers rose 393% in Q1, and it’s boosting their revenue too

Recent data from Adobe reveals a staggering 393% increase in AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year. This surge follows a remarkable 269% rise over the last 12 months and a jaw-dropping 693% increase during the holiday shopping season. More consumers are turning to AI assistants to enhance their online shopping experience. The implications of this dramatic shift in traffic sources extend beyond mere numbers. AI visitors are demonstrating higher engagement levels, spending significantly more time on retail sites, and driving a notable increase in revenue per visit. This marks a significant turnaround from just a year ago, when traditional customers brought more value to retailers. Adobe's insights are drawn from an extensive analysis covering over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail platforms and a survey of 5,000 U.S. consumers regarding their AI shopping habits. The data shows that 39% of respondents use AI tools for online shopping, with 85% reporting an enhanced experience as a result. The ability of AI to help users efficiently find products and access discounts seems to be a key factor in these positive perceptions. Interestingly, AI-driven traffic has been shown to convert at rates 42% higher than that of traditional shoppers, a notable shift from March 2025, when AI traffic was converting 38% worse than human visitors. Moreover, consumers arriving at retail sites via AI sources exhibit a 12% higher engagement rate, spend 48% longer on the site, and browse 13% more pages. In terms of revenue, AI-generated traffic yielded a revenue per visit (RPV) that was 37% higher than that of non-AI traffic as of March 2026. Just a year prior, traditional visitors were deemed 128% more valuable than their AI counterparts. Despite these promising trends, Adobe cautions that around 25% of homepage content on retail websites is not optimized for large language models (LLMs), with individual product pages suffering from even lower accessibility rates at 34%. To remain competitive and enhance their visibility among online shoppers, retailers are encouraged to improve their sites' compatibility with AI technologies.