AI reshapes online shopping in 2026

Ashley Morgan • July 17, 2026 • 3 min read

AI transforms online shopping in 2026, boosting product discovery and ecommerce sales with smarter platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini.

AI reshapes online shopping in 2026 - ai shopping — AI reshapes online shopping in 2026

Online retailers are adjusting their approach to artificial intelligence in 2026, moving from experimental projects to strategic investments that change how shoppers find and buy products.

AI platforms as discovery channels for online retailers

In May 2026, web traffic to online retailers’ ecommerce sites from AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, more than doubled year over year, growing by 138%, according to a report published by Adobe Analytics. As the role of traditional search platforms continues to stagnate, merchants are looking for ways to show up in AI-platform recommendations. At the heart of this preparation have been efforts to optimize catalog data for AI systems, figuring out how to get products to appear in responses to longtail queries and prompts, thanks to clean data and context-heavy information.

As AI platforms mature, Adobe analysts have also observed conversion rates improving when those large language models (LLMs) recommend products for purchase. In fact, Adobe data from March 2026 showed AI-driven traffic to retailers’ websites converting 42% more often than non-AI traffic. That marked a reversal from the relationship between those two sets of traffic sources a year earlier. Meanwhile, online retailers are putting AI to use themselves. As the family apparel site PatPat told Digital Commerce 360 in 2025, AI tools are helping marketers to target potential buyers in more effective ways, leveraging known shopper behavior and first-party data to make better decisions.

In addition to targeting and convincing shoppers to buy, merchants, payments companies and AI platforms are also giving AI more attention when it comes to using it for transactions. For example, American Express, Mastercard and Visa have all picked AI solutions for facilitating payments made through AI experiences. With the help of Stripe, Google and other partners, these companies are actively figuring out which protocols to back, as well as how to ensure shoppers remain confident and security needs are met. Fraud alone is likely to be an ongoing battle as parties leverage AI on both sides of the fight.

Smaller retailers in certain merchandise categories are even finding growth channels to outperform their peers, as seen in the newly launched AI Commerce Rankings from Digital Commerce 360 and ReFiBuy. The rankings are based on data tracked in Digital Commerce 360’s Top 1000 Database, which ranks merchants in North America by annual web sales.

Data strategy gets a makeover

The move to optimize for AI platforms has revealed weaknesses in how retailers manage product data. Many still use outdated catalog structures with inconsistent attributes, missing images, or vague descriptions that confuse AI models. Retailers are addressing these problems by updating their data pipelines. Some use AI-powered tools to automate tagging and enrichment, while others partner with vendors specializing in AI-ready product feeds. The aim is data that AI can interpret in context.

First-party data, including customer purchase history, browsing behavior, and support interactions, is now fed into AI systems to personalize recommendations at scale. This method helps create a more responsive shopping experience, though one that requires adjustments to avoid over-personalization or privacy issues.

Not every retailer is moving at the same pace. Larger merchants can afford in-house AI teams, while smaller businesses often depend on platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce for support. Some mid-sized retailers succeed by focusing on niches where AI delivers strong returns, such as home goods or specialty apparel.

The next step may involve agentic commerce, where AI doesn’t just suggest products but negotiates prices, manages subscriptions, or places orders for shoppers. OpenAI and Walmart are testing this concept, though it remains in early development.