Amazon’s AI chatbot Rufus significantly boosted sales on Black Friday in the United States, doubling the number of purchase sessions compared to those without its use. Data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reveals that Amazon sessions involving Rufus saw a 100% increase in purchases relative to the trailing 30-day period. By contrast, purchase sessions without Rufus rose by only 20%. This highlights how AI-powered tools are increasingly influential in driving e-commerce conversions during high-traffic shopping events.
Rufus is an AI assistant integrated into the Amazon Shopping app and website, leveraging generative and agentic AI to provide personalized product recommendations, answer customer questions, and help users make faster and more informed buying decisions. Rajiv Mehta, Amazon’s vice president of Search and Conversational Shopping, describes Rufus as a “knowledgeable shopping expert” designed to know individual preferences, compare options, and streamline the shopping experience.
This surge aligns with broader trends of growing AI adoption in retail, as Amazon and Walmart both saw notable increases in app downloads and website visits on Black Friday. AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites rose by 805% year-over-year on the day, according to Adobe Analytics. Rufus’s impact exemplifies how AI assistants are becoming pivotal tools for retailers aiming to enhance customer engagement and conversion rates amidst competitive online shopping periods.
