Salesforce reports in its latest holiday shopping analysis that retailers leveraging AI and intelligent agents captured 19% of total online holiday sales, marking a significant increase in AI's impact on retail outcomes while helping manage a sharp rise in returns.
During the 2024 holiday season, global online sales reached a record $1.2 trillion, with AI and agents influencing $229 billion of purchases through product recommendations, targeted offers, and conversational customer service support. This represents a 6% increase in AI-influenced purchases compared to 2023, amid growing challenges with returns management.
The data, based on Salesforce's analysis of 1.5 billion shoppers and 1.6 trillion page views, reveals a complex retail landscape where technological adoption is becoming increasingly critical for managing both sales growth and operational challenges. Notably, retailers saw a 28% year-over-year return increase, with more than $122 billion of global purchases already returned.
"Retailers had a robust holiday season, but a 28% rise in the rate of returns compared to last year is a cause for some concern," says Caila Schwartz, Director of Consumer Insights at Salesforce. "Retailers who have embraced AI and agents are already seeing the benefits, but these tools will be even more critical in the new year as retailers aim to minimize revenue losses on returns and reengage with shoppers."
The data suggests that retailers must carefully consider their AI and agent implementation strategies, particularly as returns continue to impact profit margins and consumer expectations for personalized service grow.