Salesforce report shows 200% surge in AI-driven consumer shopping

Salesforce’s latest ‘State of Commerce’ report reveals a significant shift in consumer behavior, with the use of AI assistants for the initial stages of the shopping journey increasing by 200% year-over-year. This trend is driving a decline in traditional search engine usage, which fell by 15%, while engagement with new channels like AI assistants, social media AI, and delivery apps rose by 38%.

In South Korea, 48% of commerce companies are already providing product data feeds to AI search platforms to adapt to this conversational search model. However, the report highlights critical challenges regarding data integration. Many companies struggle with fragmented information, with 45% of surveyed Korean firms reporting duplicate or inconsistent customer data, and approximately 40% experiencing discrepancies in pricing, promotions, and real-time inventory across different sales channels.

To maintain a competitive advantage, Salesforce emphasizes that businesses must integrate customer, product, and inventory data to ensure a seamless experience from AI-driven discovery to final purchase and fulfillment.