Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), which refers to systems capable of producing content, recommendations, or responses based on existing data, is playing an increasingly important role in digital purchasing journeys. According to an analysis published by Euromonitor, more and more consumers are using these tools to search for products (across all sectors, including cosmetics) at the expense of traditional search engines.
While traditional search engines remain the main source of traffic to e-commerce sites today, the share of GenAI platforms is growing rapidly.
In September 2024, GenAI accounted for only 0.3% of total global redirects to product pages on e-commerce sites.
By November 2025, this share had reached 3.5%.
In response to this development, brands’ digital visibility strategies are changing.
Manufacturers are optimizing their content to appear more frequently in the responses generated by artificial intelligence platforms.
Towards the emergence of “chat checkout”
Beyond product search, GenAI platforms are now entering the transactional arena. The industry is moving towards “chat checkout” journeys, in which the entire purchasing process takes place within a conversational interface.
According to Euromonitor International, GenAI’s influence on global e-commerce is expected to accelerate significantly in the coming years.
By 2028, these technologies could account for more than $595 billion in global retail e-commerce sales.
“Brands and retailers that fail to properly address this radical shift in digital commerce, particularly by preparing for an era dominated by generative AI, risk being left behind,” warns Euromonitor.
