Amazon's AI chatbot Rufus drove sales on Black Friday

Core Insights - Amazon's AI chatbot, Rufus, experienced significant adoption on Black Friday, with purchase sessions involving Rufus increasing by 100% compared to the previous 30 days, while sessions without Rufus only rose by 20% [1][2] - The overall website sessions for Amazon increased by 20% on Black Friday, but sessions that included Rufus saw a 35% increase, indicating a strong preference for AI-assisted shopping [2] - The rise in AI usage for holiday shopping reflects a broader trend, with 48% of surveyed consumers indicating they have used or plan to use AI for this purpose [13] Adoption and Performance Metrics - Rufus contributed to a 75% day-over-day increase in purchase sessions, compared to a 35% increase for sessions without the AI chatbot [2] - AI traffic to U.S. retail sites surged by 805% year-over-year on Black Friday, highlighting the growing reliance on generative AI chatbots for deal-finding and product research [5] - U.S. shoppers arriving at retail sites via AI services were 38% more likely to make a purchase compared to those coming from non-AI sources [9] Economic Context - Black Friday spending reached a record $11.8 billion, although this may be attributed to higher prices (up 7% on average) rather than an increase in online shopping volume, which saw a 1% decline [10] - Despite increased app and website adoption on Black Friday, total visits and downloads showed a deceleration compared to 2024, indicating a more conservative consumer spending behavior [11] - Amazon and Walmart's mobile app downloads grew by 24% and 20% respectively on Black Friday, but these figures were significantly lower than the growth rates seen in 2024 [12]