Amazon’s AI chatbot, Rufus, experienced a significant rise in adoption on Black Friday, according to recent data released over the weekend by market intelligence company Sensor Tower. In the U. S. , Amazon sessions that ended in a purchase doubled (increased by 100%) on Black Friday compared to the previous 30 days, while sessions resulting in a purchase without involving Rufus grew by only 20%. Moreover, there was a 75% day-over-day rise in sessions that included Rufus and led to a purchase, in contrast to just a 35% day-over-day increase for purchase sessions without Rufus. The firm also highlighted that Amazon sessions featuring the AI chatbot outpaced overall website sessions. Specifically, on Black Friday, total website sessions on Amazon rose by 20% day-over-day, whereas sessions involving Rufus surged by 35%. Amazon first introduced its AI chat, Rufus, in beta in early 2024 before making it available to all U. S. customers later in the year. Currently, Rufus assists Amazon shoppers by helping them find products, offering recommendations, and facilitating product comparisons. Rufus’s increased use to boost Black Friday sales is part of a broader trend where consumers are increasingly turning to AI to assist them with holiday shopping, according to the data. E-commerce insights from Adobe Analytics, which tracks over 1 trillion visits to U. S. retail websites, reveal that AI-driven traffic to U. S. retail sites jumped by 805% year-over-year on Black Friday. This surge shows that consumers embraced generative AI chatbots more substantially this year to locate deals and research products.

These AI tools were predominantly used for key Black Friday categories such as electronics, video games, appliances, toys, personal care products, and baby and toddler items. Adobe Analytics additionally pointed out that AI use contributed to higher conversion rates. Shoppers arriving at retail sites through AI services were 38% more likely to make a purchase compared with those from non-AI sources. However, it remains less certain whether AI directly influenced the record Black Friday spending of $11. 8 billion. Instead, the high figure may stem from increased prices rather than greater online shopping volumes. As reported by TechCrunch on Saturday, Salesforce data indicated prices rose by an average of 7%, while order volumes declined by 1%. Sensor Tower’s data also suggest that shoppers might have been more cautious in their spending this year due to economic pressures. Although mobile app and website usage spiked on Black Friday compared to the previous 30 days, the rate of growth in visits and downloads slowed compared with 2024. For example, mobile app downloads for Amazon and Walmart increased by 24% and 20%, respectively, on Black Friday relative to the prior 30 days, but this growth was modest compared to 2024 when Amazon downloads jumped 50% and Walmart’s rose 75% during the same timeframe, according to the firm. Similarly, Amazon and Walmart saw their website visits rise by 90% and 100% on Black Friday this year versus the prior 30 days. Yet, those increases were lower than in 2024, when visits were up 95% and 130%, respectively. In a related Adobe survey, 48% of respondents said they have used or plan to use AI specifically for holiday shopping.