This year's U.S. holiday shopping season has seen generative AI, represented by ChatGPT, quietly reshaping consumer shopping habits. However, the benefits of this emerging traffic source have not been evenly distributed, instead further consolidating the dominance of e-commerce giants.
According to the latest data from mobile app analytics provider Apptopia, ChatGPT-driven recommendations for retailer apps during the Black Friday shopping weekend (Thanksgiving through Sunday) increased by 28% year-over-year. This indicates growing consumer adoption of AI chatbots for shopping inspiration and deals.
Yet the biggest winners remain market leaders. Amazon's share of ChatGPT referral traffic jumped from 40.5% last year to 54%, while Walmart's share skyrocketed from 2.7% to 14.9%. Together, these two giants captured nearly 70% of all AI-generated traffic.
Other reports confirm AI's expanding influence on e-commerce. Adobe Analytics revealed that on Black Friday alone, AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites surged 805% year-over-year, demonstrating AI's growing role across retail.
The data shows that rather than creating opportunities for smaller retailers, emerging AI traffic channels have strengthened the moats of e-commerce behemoths like Amazon and Walmart. AI appears to preferentially direct users toward these already-dominant platforms.
Apptopia's report details this trend. Amazon's share of ChatGPT referrals climbed to 54% this shopping season, up significantly from 40.5% in 2024. Walmart's performance was even more dramatic, growing from a negligible 2.7% share last year to 14.9% this year.
Broader AI shopping trends show both traffic and conversion rates soaring. Adobe's analysis of retail website traffic from AI tools revealed even more striking numbers. On Black Friday, AI-driven traffic (measured by shoppers clicking through links) grew 805% year-over-year, while Cyber Monday saw a 670% increase. For the entire holiday season (November 1-December 1), AI traffic grew 760%.
Importantly, Adobe found that users arriving via AI chatbots showed 38% higher purchase intent than average visitors, indicating that AI-generated traffic delivers both volume and superior conversion rates.
Despite its growing role, AI chatbot recommendations still represent a tiny fraction of overall referral traffic. Apptopia's analysis shows that while ChatGPT usage for shopping deals grew significantly during Black Friday, it remains a niche choice. Last year, ChatGPT referral sessions accounted for just 0.64% of all retail app sessions during Black Friday, with only modest growth to 0.82% this year.
Apptopia defines "referral sessions" as instances where users opened a retailer's mobile app within 30 seconds of using ChatGPT. The company notes its data comes from U.S. consumer behavior samples and represents estimates.
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