Analysts estimate that the U.S. will see $253 billion in online sales this holiday season, with most purchases coming through standard website visits or search-engine results favoring companies that spend heavily on ads. But shopper-facing AI tools are gaining traction, offering product recommendations, price comparisons, and even direct purchasing options—turning virtual assistants into digital holiday concierges.
“We’ve seen brands that previously published three or four blog posts a month now putting out 100 or 200,” said Brian Stempeck, CEO of Evertune.ai, a company that helps retailers optimize websites for discovery by large language models. The firm charges clients, including apparel and footwear brands, roughly $3,000 a month for its services.
A New Playbook for Retailers
In the past, companies focused on Google and Meta ad placements, targeting keywords and links that users had clicked. Without traditional advertising options in major AI platforms, retailers are experimenting with alternative strategies. Some are creating content specifically for AI scrapers—automated tools that scan websites for information—rather than for human visitors.
These scrapers feed data to chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini, which in turn guide consumers toward products. Early indicators suggest the approach is working: AI-driven traffic in the first 23 days of November jumped 830% year-over-year, according to Adobe Analytics. Shoppers arriving via AI are 30% more likely to make a purchase than those coming from conventional web searches.
However, the overall volume of traffic from AI sources remains small. In October, referrals from ChatGPT to Amazon, Walmart, and eBay accounted for less than 1% of each site’s total traffic, according to Sensor Tower. Still, the quality of this traffic is notable, with shoppers arriving through AI showing higher purchasing intent.
Retailers Get Creative
Some companies are actively feeding AI with content to boost visibility. Brooklinen, a bed linen company, pays social media influencers to review its comforters and towels, knowing AI scrapers can extract information from written posts and video transcripts. The company has also submitted products like its $199 comforter to publications such as the New York Times’ Wirecutter, improving the chances that AI assistants will recommend them.
Similarly, Miami-based haircare brand R+Co is buying ads on Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa, targeting questions that customers ask its Rufus AI agent, said President Dan Langer. Google, meanwhile, has rolled out AI features that let shoppers track prices and make purchases, which rely on retailer content being accessible to the company’s scrapers. Its AI Mode and Gemini chatbot consider store locations, product availability, and retailer quality when presenting shopping suggestions.
Even as AI-driven traffic remains relatively modest, major retailers are investing in positioning for the future. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently reported that shoppers using Rufus are 60% more likely to make a purchase. Walmart and Target have also announced plans to let customers shop directly through chatbots via upcoming apps.
The Next Frontier
For now, AI traffic represents a small slice of overall online activity, particularly since the generation most comfortable with AI—Gen Z—has less spending power than older consumers. But retailers are clearly betting on long-term gains, investing in content and technology that can position their products prominently in a growing AI-driven shopping ecosystem. As consumer habits evolve, these experiments may determine who captures the attention—and dollars—of the next generation of holiday shoppers.
If you want, I can also craft a catchier, feature-style version that emphasizes the “battle for AI attention” narrative with vivid examples and quotes from brands—something more magazine-like. It would make the story feel livelier for casual readers.