Amazon’s Rufus AI Chatbot Boosted Black Friday Sales
▼ Summary
– Amazon’s AI chatbot Rufus saw significantly higher adoption and purchase conversion rates on Black Friday compared to non-Rufus sessions.
– Broader data shows a massive year-over-year increase in AI traffic to retail sites, with consumers using chatbots for deal-finding and product research.
– Shoppers arriving at retail sites from AI services were 38% more likely to make a purchase than those from non-AI sources.
– Despite record Black Friday spending, higher prices rather than increased shopping volume may be the primary driver, and growth rates in app downloads and visits decelerated from 2024.
– A survey indicated that nearly half of respondents have used or plan to use AI specifically for their holiday shopping.
New data reveals that Amazon’s AI chatbot, Rufus, played a significant role in boosting Black Friday sales, with shopping sessions involving the assistant dramatically outperforming those without it. According to market intelligence from Sensor Tower, U.S. Amazon sessions that ended in a purchase surged by 100% on Black Friday compared to the prior month. However, the increase was far more pronounced for interactions using Rufus. Sessions that included the AI tool and resulted in a purchase saw a 75% day-over-day jump, while sessions without Rufus that led to a purchase increased by only 35%.
The adoption of Rufus wasn’t just about higher conversion rates; it also outpaced overall website traffic growth. On Black Friday, Amazon’s total website sessions increased by 20% day-over-day, but sessions involving the AI chatbot rose by 35%. This trend is part of a much larger shift, as consumers increasingly turn to generative AI for holiday shopping assistance. Broader e-commerce data from Adobe Analytics, which tracks over one trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, shows that AI-driven traffic to retail websites skyrocketed by 805% year-over-year on Black Friday.
Shoppers primarily used these AI tools to hunt for deals and research products in popular categories like electronics, video games, appliances, and toys. This behavioral shift appears to be effective, as Adobe’s data indicates that U.S. shoppers arriving at a retail site from an AI service were 38% more likely to make a purchase compared to those from non-AI traffic sources. A related survey found that nearly half of all respondents have used or plan to use AI specifically for their holiday shopping.
While AI clearly influenced shopping behavior, its direct impact on the record $11.8 billion in Black Friday online spending is nuanced. Other data suggests that higher prices, rather than a surge in shopping volume, may be responsible for the sizable sales figure. For example, Salesforce reported that average prices were up 7% while order volumes actually decreased by 1%. Sensor Tower’s findings also hint at more conservative consumer spending this year, likely due to broader economic pressures.
Although mobile app and website usage spiked on Black Friday compared to the previous month, the growth rates have decelerated from 2024 levels. This year, Amazon’s and Walmart’s mobile app downloads grew by 24% and 20%, respectively, on Black Friday. However, those figures are notably lower than the 50% and 75% surges seen during the same period in 2024. A similar pattern emerged for website visits, which, while strong this year, did not reach the heights of the previous year.
Launched in beta early in 2024 and later rolled out to all U.S. customers, Rufus is designed to help shoppers find products, get personalized recommendations, and compare items. Its successful integration into the Black Friday shopping frenzy underscores a pivotal change in how consumers are leveraging technology to navigate their purchases, even as overall spending patterns show signs of adjustment.
(Source: TechCrunch)
