Adobe forecasts that traffic to UK retail websites from AI platforms will rise 214% year over year in November and December, up from a 111% increase in September, Retail Gazette reports. Adobe also predicts a record £28.52 billion in UK online spending between November 1 and December 31, up 6.2%, with fourth-quarter ecommerce sales rising 6.4% to £40 billion.
PayPal research cited by the outlet finds 35% of UK consumers use or plan to use AI for Christmas shopping, most often to find deals or compare prices (52%) and research products (51%). A study by Ignite Stack and Visible PR of 600 AI-generated answers to gifting questions found John Lewis in about one in five responses. Retail Gazette notes this measures visibility in answers, not share of sales.
Trust in AI-made purchases remains low. Signicat research found 8% of consumers would let AI make high-value purchases for them and 19% smaller ones, while 69% are uncomfortable with AI buying on their behalf. Daisy Wolfenden, managing director at agency Wolfenden, said direct revenue from AI platforms is growing strongly across her retail clients but remains a small share of sales, and that much of AI's influence will not appear in direct referral revenue.