Brief
AI referrals are climbing from under 2% of retailer traffic, but the new figure is missing from the source
Digital Commerce 360 reports that AI-driven referrals are growing at four large online retailers, up from less than 2% of site traffic earlier in 2026. The current share is cut off in the material available, so the size of the shift cannot be stated.
Digital Commerce 360 has tracked how four leading online retailers see traffic arriving from artificial intelligence platforms, and the trend has moved. In early 2026, the retailers the publication had spoken with reported a consistent number: less than 2% of their website referrals came from AI.
By the final months of 2026, the trend among leading retailers indicates AI site traffic is generally accounting for a larger share, though the reported figure is truncated in the material available. The source's own language is cautious - trends suggest, and the number is given as approximate.
Our reading
AI platforms are still described as a small slice of retailer traffic, but the direction of travel matters for merchants who plan channel budgets and attribution around search and paid. Stores that track referral sources will want to know whether AI sessions behave like search visits or like a separate, low-intent stream. This is a measurement question before it is a spending question.
What to do or watch
Watch for the full share figure and for any breakdown of what those AI-referred sessions do after they land; the unresolved question is what proportion of referrals AI now accounts for and whether those visits convert.
Source details and supporting facts
Each line is stated by the page named above it.
Stated by digitalcommerce360.com
- In early 2026, leading online retailers that had spoken with Digital Commerce 360 shared a consistent metric: less than 2% of their website referrals had come from AI.
- The article covers how AI referrals are impacting traffic at four online retailers.
Sources
- Digital Commerce 360Text stored 16 September 2026
How this story was checked. Written from the 1 page listed above, stored 16 September 2026; claims checked against that stored text on 16 September 2026.
What that means
- 2 of 2 reported statements were confirmed against the page that carries them; the rest were removed rather than published.
- Figures in the text were required to appear in the stored source text: yes. Identifiers: yes.
- The check reads stored text only: no claim rests on a fresh look that did not happen.
- Where the reporting was silent, the text says so instead of filling the gap.