AI tools could drive $263 billion in holiday sales. Walmart and Target are racing to get in

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AI Reshapes Holiday Shopping: A $263 Billion Revolution

Summary

AI is transforming the holiday shopping season, with Salesforce predicting it will drive $263 billion in global online sales. While consumers are increasingly using chatbots like ChatGPT for gift ideas, major retailers are scrambling to adapt their strategies to this new landscape, overhauling marketing and website structures to be “AI-visible.”

Key Points

  • Massive Economic Impact: AI is projected to influence 21% of all holiday orders, driving an estimated $263 billion in global online sales.
  • Consumer Adoption: Surveys indicate 40-83% of shoppers plan to use AI for holiday shopping, with AI-driven retail site visits up 760% in early December.
  • Higher Engagement & Sales: Shoppers from AI platforms are 30% more likely to purchase and generate 8% more revenue per session.
  • Retailer Race: Walmart (Sparky), Target (Gift Finder), and Amazon (Rufus) have launched AI shopping assistants. Many, including Etsy, are partnering with OpenAI for direct purchasing within ChatGPT.
  • Marketing Overhaul: Brands are shifting from SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), enriching product data with detailed descriptions and solution-oriented content to rank in AI results.
  • Mixed Consumer Reception: While some find AI fun and efficient, others criticize it for providing generic, repetitive suggestions, missing the joy of traditional browsing.

人工智能重塑假日购物：一场2630亿美元的革命

摘要

人工智能正在改变假日购物季。Salesforce预测，今年AI将推动全球2630亿美元的在线销售额。随着消费者越来越多地使用ChatGPT等聊天机器人寻找礼物灵感，大型零售商正争相调整策略以适应新形势，彻底改革营销和网站结构以提升“AI可见度”。

关键要点

  • 巨大经济影响：AI预计将影响21%的假日订单，推动全球在线销售额达到2630亿美元。
  • 消费者采用：调查显示，40-83%的购物者计划在假日季使用AI，12月初由AI驱动的零售网站访问量激增760%。
  • 更高参与度与销售额：来自AI平台的购物者购买可能性高出30%，每次会话产生的收入高出8%。
  • 零售商竞赛：沃尔玛（Sparky）、塔吉特（Gift Finder）和亚马逊（Rufus）已推出AI购物助手。包括Etsy在内的许多零售商正与OpenAI合作，实现在ChatGPT内直接购买。
  • 营销全面改革：品牌正从SEO（搜索引擎优化）转向AEO（答案引擎优化），用详细的描述和解决方导向的内容丰富产品数据，以在AI结果中排名靠前。
  • 消费者反响不一：一些人觉得AI购物有趣高效，另一些人则批评其建议千篇一律、重复乏味，失去了传统浏览购物的乐趣。

Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/12/ai-chatgpt-holiday-shopping-sales-walmart-target.html

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