Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming online retail. According to theorganization of the NRF,largest international retail fair in the world,more than 60% of sales are already digitally influenced by AI since the beginning of this year, a significant growth compared to the same period in 2024. This advancement reflects the adoption of technologies that make the shopping journey more personalized, optimise business management and automate essential processes.
For small and medium retailers, understanding the impact of AI and its practical application can be a competitive advantage. Lucas Bacic, Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Loja Integrada, reference in automation and data intelligence for e-commerce, highlights that AI is no longer a technology restricted to large companies. The adoption of AI has ceased to be a trend and has become part of the daily routine of e-commerce, helping retailers make more strategic decisions and improve the customer experience, affirms.
Why AI is already essential for e-commerce?
Artificial intelligence offers various applications that can make e-commerce operations more efficient. Among the main benefits, are
- Personalized recommendations – Product suggestions based on customer purchase behavior, increasing the chances of conversion;
- Automated service – Chatbots and virtual assistants streamline responses and reduce waiting time;
- Inventory management – Demand forecasting to avoid stockouts or excess products;
- Campaign automation – Emails and personalized notifications to engage customers;
- Recovery of abandoned carts – Sending strategic reminders to encourage the completion of the purchase;
- Optimization of multichannel sales – AI assists in creating product descriptions and integrating with marketplaces.
AI allows retailers to personalize the customer experience and automate processes, what directly reflects in better results, comment Bacic.
How to implement AI in your e-commerce?
Retailers looking to incorporate artificial intelligence into their operations can start with accessible strategies
- Selection of appropriate tools: solutions like chatbots, product recommendation systems and campaign automation simplify the e-commerce routine;
- Personalization of the shopping experience: analysis of customer behavior to suggest more relevant offers;
- Use of data for decision making: AI processes large volumes of information and provides strategic insights for pricing and marketing actions;
- Adoption of platforms with integrated AI: tools that already offer automation reduce the need for advanced technical knowledge.
"In the Integrated Store", we combine structured market data with automation to make the most of every sales opportunity. This allows the retailer to understand customer behavior and turn each interaction into a real chance of conversion. Furthermore, we offer differentiators such as native promotion strategies on the platform, like product combos, promotions by brand or category, "segmentation by ZIP code and progressive discount", says Lucas Bacic.
Personalization and impact on sales
One of the great differentiators of AI in e-commerce is the ability to personalize the consumer experience.However, according to the studyEstado do Cliente Conectado de IA, from Salesforce, although 73% of customers feel that brands treat them as unique individuals — an increase of 39% compared to 2023 —, only 49% believe that their data is used appropriately. This scenario raises an alert about the need to balance personalization and privacy.
The collected data needs to have a well-defined purpose, bringing benefits to both the retailer and the consumer. Maintain transparency about the use of AI, for example, is essential to build a relationship of trust, highlights the specialist.
The CPO of Loja Integrada lists the most common applications
- Customer behavior-based recommendations: product suggestions aligned with browsing and purchase history;
- Personalized offers: progressive discounts and dynamic promotions to encourage repeat purchases;
- Abandoned cart reminders: notifications that help recover lost sales;
- Campaign engagement automation: personalized emails and messages to strengthen customer relationships.
The future of e-commerce is driven by AI
Artificial intelligence already influences the majority of sales in digital retail and will continue to evolve rapidly. For retailers, adapting to this transformation means ensuring more efficient processes, personalization in the shopping experience and greater competitiveness in the market. The e-commerce sector is still in the adaptation phase for the AI Era. This is the moment for even small and medium businesses to try, err and learn until they benefit from the best performance even with a leaner infrastructure, finalize the CPO.
