As GenAI surges in popularity, more consumers are utilising GenAI platforms in place of traditional search engines when searching for products and services to buy online. Thanks to advancements in in-chat payments, consumers are also increasingly conducting transactions directly within GenAI platforms. These developments are forcing brands and retailers to embrace GenAI to an unprecedented degree, powering an extraordinary transformation in digital commerce.
Consumers increasingly use GenAI platforms for product search
As more consumers integrate the use of GenAI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT into their day-to-day digital regimes, more and more are using these tools instead of traditional search engines when researching products and services to purchase online. Globally, most referral traffic to online retailers’ websites still emanates from traditional search engines. As digital shoppers continue to flock to GenAI platforms, however, the balance of power is rapidly shifting. As recently as September 2024, GenAI platforms accounted for only 0.3% of the aggregate total of GenAI and traditional search engines’ global inbound web referrals to retail e-commerce sites’ product pages. By November 2025, GenAI’s share of inbound referrals had increased to 3.5%, with growth showing no signs of slowing anytime soon.
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