ZACKS·2025-12-01 15:11Core Insights - The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly impacting e-commerce, with AI-driven online sales on Black Friday reaching a record high of $11.8 billion, reflecting a 9.1% year-over-year increase [1] - Online traffic surged to over 1 trillion, marking an 805% year-over-year increase, aided by AI-powered chatbots that helped customers find the best prices despite tariff-related price hikes [2] - E-commerce sales for Black Friday in 2025 are projected to grow by 10.4% year over year, with estimates for this year's sales reaching $18 billion, a 3% increase from last year [2] E-commerce Stock Recommendations - Five e-commerce stocks are recommended for investment in 2026: Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Expedia Group Inc. (EXPE), Etsy Inc. (ETSY), Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG), and 1stdibs.Com Inc. (DIBS), all carrying favorable Zacks Ranks [3][8] Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) - Amazon is experiencing growth from its Prime and Amazon Web Services (AWS) segments, utilizing AI technologies such as the Claude chatbot and Trainium2 AI chips [6][9] - The company has invested $8 billion in Anthropic and plans to use 1 million custom Trainium2 chips for AI applications by 2025 [7] - Amazon's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for next year are 11.3% and 9.2%, respectively, with a 2% improvement in earnings estimates over the last 30 days [11] Expedia Group Inc. (EXPE) - Expedia is leveraging AI for personalized trip planning through tools like AI-powered search filters and itinerary builders, integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into its app [12] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 6.3% and an earnings growth rate of 20.8% for next year, with a 7.9% improvement in earnings estimates recently [13] Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) - Booking Holdings is enhancing its travel services with AI-driven tools that improve user engagement and booking conversion rates [15] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 8.9% and an earnings growth rate of 15.8% for next year, with a slight improvement in earnings estimates [17] Etsy Inc. (ETSY) - Etsy is focusing on AI-driven personalization and advanced search ranking models to enhance user experience and drive sales [19] - The expected revenue growth rate for Etsy is 3.4%, with earnings growth projected to exceed 100% for next year [20] 1stdibs.Com Inc. (DIBS) - 1stdibs.Com connects sellers of luxury items with buyers, utilizing AI to monitor its impact on the design market [21] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 2.8% and an earnings growth rate of 32.5% for next year, with a significant improvement in earnings estimates [22]