AI Tools Poised to Drive $263 Billion in Global Online Holiday Sales
AI isn't just predicting shopping trends—it's becoming the cash register.
Forget browsing. This holiday season, algorithms curate, recommend, and close deals before you finish your coffee. The tech doesn't just suggest a gift; it constructs the entire purchase journey, from targeted ad to one-click checkout.
The $263 Billion Engine
That staggering figure represents more than just sales volume. It's the output of a hyper-personalized retail machine. Dynamic pricing models adjust in real-time. Chatbots handle customer service surges. Predictive logistics keep warehouses humming and delivery promises intact—cutting costs and bypassing traditional retail bottlenecks.
It turns browsing data into a blueprint for revenue.
Of course, on Wall Street, they'll call it 'efficiency' while quietly laying off another round of junior analysts. The real holiday bonus goes to the platforms whose algorithms best convert festive intent into cold, hard transaction data.
Major retailers deploy AI shopping assistants
The boom in AI shopping has made stores change how they do business. Walmart and Amazon built their own AI helpers for shopping. Others like Walmart, Target, and Etsy teamed up with OpenAI so people can look for items or even buy things right inside ChatGPT.
One expert said her company has seen a “major surge in demand” from stores and brands watching their visitor numbers drop from social media ads and regular search engines. Many brands see their paid ads on Meta and other places not working as well, with people moving to AI tools instead.
Walmart made a deal in October with OpenAI so shoppers can find and buy items without leaving ChatGPT. The company hasn’t said when this will start working yet. Etsy and many stores using Shopify, including Glossier, also signed deals with OpenAI for a feature that lets American customers buy one item at a time. This started with Etsy in late September.
Target announced a deal last month letting customers shop through ChatGPT. People testing this feature can buy several items at once, including food, and pick whether they want delivery or to grab it at the store.
Amazon takes defensive position against AI competitors
Amazon took a different path. The online shopping giant blocked outside AI chatbots from OpenAI, Google, and Meta from looking at its website to stop them from pulling product listings into their answers. As reported by Cryptopolitan previously, Amazon also sent a legal letter to Perplexity AI, trying to stop users of its AI browser, Comet, from buying Amazon products. The startup called Amazon’s legal MOVE “bullying.”
Amazon, Walmart, and Target all built their own AI chat helpers, hoping to bring in curious shoppers. At Walmart’s business call in November, CEO Doug McMillon said AI will help grow the company’s online business. He said it will “help people save time and have more fun shopping.”
Target said thousands of customers have used its Gift Finder, with people mostly searching for sports, beauty, wellness, cooking and clothing gifts.
Walmart made another big move this week, leaving the New York Stock Exchange for Nasdaq. This switch marks the biggest loss of a company listing in the Big Board’s history. The Arkansas-based company wants to highlight its work with technology by joining the exchange known for tech companies. Walmart’s market value has grown to more than $920 billion.
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