A new study shows that AI and social platforms are driving record traffic to online stores – but 80% of shoppers are still abandoning their shopping carts
Online retail is experiencing rapid traffic growth, but most shopping trips end without a purchase.
To understand why, SEMrush and Statista analyzed millions of shopping sessions on major e-commerce platforms.
Their report, “Rewriting the E-commerce Playbook: Artificial Intelligence, Social Commerce, and the Future of Consumer Confidence,” shows that while AI assistants and social commerce platforms are changing the way Americans discover products, checkout friction prevents customers from making a final purchase.
The findings point to three major shifts in online commerce: the rise of conversational search, the growth of social shopping, and checkout hurdles that are costing retailers billions.
Instead of searching, Americans now ask AI for product recommendations
The report shows that the most dramatic change in online commerce is how Americans find products. Monthly visits to shopping websites by AI assistants increased by an incredible 3,900% – from around 100,000 visits in January 2024 to over 4 million in June 2025.
Social commerce will reach $140 billion by 2028
Social platforms have become key retail destinations. Commerce across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook is expected to reach $140 billion by 2028.
However, the generational difference in the behavior of social shoppers is dramatic.
Generation Z is the most active generation in the TikTok shop. 87% of this age group visit the shop at least monthly, and almost 25% visit the shop daily. In contrast, only 23% of baby boomers come monthly: their daily usage is only 6%.
This gap may be because older Americans remain skeptical about social shopping. The generation
Fast delivery infrastructure widens the purchasing gap between urban and rural areas
The report shows a growing gap between urban and rural online shopping. From 2024 to 2025, urban states increased their online shopping while rural areas saw declines.
New York led the nation with a 7.6% increase in online shopping activity, followed by other urban regions such as Maryland (5.6%), California (5.5%), New Jersey (5.4%) and Georgia (5.2%). Meanwhile, rural states like Montana (-6.8%), Alaska (-6.2%) and New Mexico (-5.1%) saw significant declines in online purchases.
The division depends on the fundamentals of the infrastructure. City shoppers benefit from same-day delivery, numerous pickup points and fast internet, making online shopping seamless and convenient. However, rural shoppers face slow deliveries, high delivery charges and spotty broadband connectivity, making online shopping a frustrating experience.
Eight out of ten shoppers abandon their shopping cart
While AI assistants and social shopping have changed the way people discover products, they haven’t solved online retail’s biggest problem: cart abandonment.
This report shows that 8 out of 10 shoppers still abandon their cart before making a purchase. The most common reasons for shopping cart abandonment include:
- High surprise fees (39%). When shoppers encounter unexpected shipping and taxes at checkout, good deals suddenly become deceptively expensive purchases.
- Slow delivery (21%). Americans expect fast shipping and will cancel orders if delivery times seem too long.
- Required account creation (19%). Many shoppers don’t create an account just to make a purchase, especially from unfamiliar stores.
- Safety concerns (19%). Customers are reluctant to enter credit card information on websites they don’t trust.
What retailers need to do to compete
Retailers can adapt to these changes by focusing on three operational priorities.
First, they need to design their website’s product information so that AI tools can easily find and recommend it. Clear descriptions and transparent prices in advance support AI assistants and prevent surprise fees for customers at checkout.
Second, retailers need to post regularly on the social platforms where their customers discover products. For those with younger shoppers, that means TikTok and Instagram with shoppable posts and creator partnerships. Retailers with older followers should post more product-focused content on Facebook.
Third, online retailers must compete on delivery speed in urban markets and transparency in rural markets. City buyers expect same-day or next-day options. Rural buyers accept longer timelines but require accurate delivery estimates.
Companies that employ all three tactics will be better positioned to capture more of the changing U.S. retail market.
Related to “Rewriting the eCommerce Playbook: Artificial Intelligence, Social Commerce, and the Future of Consumer Trust“, a comprehensive analysis from SEMrush and Statista on US e-commerce trends and consumer behavior.
Daily Sparkz works with external contributors. All contributor content is reviewed by the Daily Sparkz editorial team.
