Adobe: Many retailers unprepared for rapid AI search growth
Consumers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for product search and discovery, with some retailers struggling to keep up.
In the first three months of 2026 (January to March), traffic from AI sources to U.S. retail sites grew 393% year over year. In March 2026, it was up 269% year over year. Analysis from Adobe indicates this pattern continues momentum that was observed during the November – December 2025 holiday season, when AI traffic was up 693% from the prior year period.
[READ MORE: Adobe: Holiday e-commerce beats expectations with record $257.8B]
In addition, Adobe analysis reveals that in March 2026, AI traffic to retail sites converted a record 42% better than non-AI traffic (including channels such as paid search and email marketing), compared to AI traffic converting 38% worse in March 2025.
Data from March 2026 also shows that once an individual lands on a U.S. retail site from an AI source, the engagement rate is 12% higher compared to non-AI traffic. AI-driven shoppers also spend 48% more time on the website than other shoppers and browse 13% more pages per visit.
An Adobe survey of U.S. consumers indicates 39% of respondents have used AI before for online shopping, with 85% of those respondents saying it improved their experience. In addition, 66% of respondents believe AI tools provide accurate results.
Retailers lag in AI visibility
According to the Adobe AI Content Visibility Checker, a diagnostic tool that can analyze web pages to identify what percentage of content AI large language models (LLMs) supporting generative AI tools can or cannot read, the average score for all U.S. retail home pages is 75%, meaning 25% of content on retail home pages has not been optimized for LLMs.
Category-level pages (such as appliances or men’s apparel) came in at a similar level at 74%. Individual product pages came in lower at 66%.
Other page content visibility scores of note include:
- Returns/exchanges (82%).
- Contact us (81%).
- FAQ (80%).
- Store locator (73%).
- Customer service/help center (79%).
- Loyalty/membership (78%).
While the average score for U.S. retail home pages is 75%, it comes in at 82.5% for the best-performing U.S. retail sites and 54.2% for the lowest-performing.
Overall, Adobe says its data shows that while U.S. retailers have built a good foundation when it comes to AI visibility, much more development needs to take place considering continuous growth in consumer adoption.
Adobe analysis is based on direct transactions online, covering over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites. A companion survey of more than 5,000 U.S. respondents provides additional context.
