Why Shoppers Prefer AI Chatbots in E Commerce: Key Stats & Trends (2020–2024)
When shopping online, consumers expect fast, easy, and customized experiences. Thus, AI chatbots were created to help comply with those demands, at least, over the past few years. This article assessed five reasons why consumers prefer AI chatbots in e-commerce with persuasive statistics from 2020 to 2024 to demonstrate how these options promote conversion and retention as loyal customers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Instant, 24/7 Service - Speed is King
The best thing about chatbots is immediacy. Shoppers don't want to wait. In fact, 90% of customers consider an "immediate" response to be an important or very important customer service feature (and 60% consider "immediate" to be under 10 minutes). AI chatbots allow for instantaneous responses, at all hours of the day. This non-stop operation is frequently noted as the top benefit of using them:
• 64% of customers say 24/7 service is the best feature of chatbots. Consumers love being able to get help late at night or on weekends when human agents may not be available.
• 59% of customers expect a chatbot to respond within 5 seconds. - an almost instantaneous response time that no human can consistently match.
• A majority of consumers would rather get an instant answer from a bot than wait in a queue: 61% prefer a faster reply from an AI chatbot over waiting for a human agent. If faced with a hold time, 82% of people would turn to a chatbot instead of waiting for a live.
Chatbots deliver the speed and responsiveness that modern shoppers demand. By being always-on and ultra-fast, they help customers quickly find what they need or resolve issues, which improves the overall shopping experience. It’s no wonder that “always available” bots save consumers time - about six in ten U.S. consumers say chatbots save them time by being always available.
2. Personalized Recommendations & Shopping Assistance
Today's consumers expect not just customized, intelligent assistance but also transparency and ethical accountability within the purchase experience. For example, AI chatbots can act as digital personal shoppers-making suggestions about products, addressing highly niche concerns, and making decisions to buy from the shopper's perspective. Increasingly, shoppers are opening up to this type of adjustment:
• 44% of consumers say they would use chatbots to search for product information and get recommendations before making purchase decisions. In other words, nearly half of shoppers are interested in using bots as product advisors during pre-purchase research.
• Consumers show strong interest in AI-driven personalization. In one 2023 global survey, 52% of consumers wanted AI to help them during product experiences, 47% were interested in AI providing personalized deals, and 42% appreciated AI-driven product suggestions. This highlights a growing comfort with AI tailoring the shopping journey to individual needs.
• 61% of consumers say that chatbot recommendations have frequently or always influenced their purchase decisions. Relevant suggestions (e.g. upsells, related products, or promo offers) from chatbots can directly boost conversion by helping customers find desired items.
• Younger shoppers especially embrace chatbot assistance. For example, 71% of Gen Z report using chatbots for product searches, and 56% of Gen Z think more companies should use chatbots. This digital-native generation expects interactive, AI-driven help when shopping online.
Chatting with a custom chatbot is akin to speaking with a custom saleswoman who understands your style. Chatbots can offer real-time, tailored recommendations based on customer insights and situational awareness, increasing product discovery and ensuring the shopping experience is more delightful. Notably, brands that excel at personalization see tangible benefits-they are 71% more likely to report improved customer loyalty as a result. In e-commerce, this means a well-designed AI shopping assistant not only helps customers find the right product, but also encourages them to come back for more.
3. Seamless Self-Service Convenience
Many shoppers prefer to help themselves if possible, rather than calling or emailing support. AI chatbots enable exactly that kind of self-service convenience. They empower users to get answers and complete tasks on their own, which aligns with changing consumer behavior:
• 81% of customers prefer to try self-service options before contacting a live agent. This includes using knowledge bases, FAQs, or chatbots. A quick chatbot Q&A can often resolve an issue without needing to wait on hold or draft an email.
• When it comes to simple questions or routine issues, consumers are very comfortable using bots. 74% of internet users say they prefer using chatbots for getting answers to simple queries (instead of needing a human for those) chatbot. For example, tracking an order, checking store hours, or an item’s availability can be handled by a bot in seconds.
• Convenience is a major factor. 68% of users value chatbots for their convenience and quick response times, and 40% of customers don’t mind whether a human or a bot helps them, as long as their issue is resolved. In other words, for many shoppers the priority is getting the answer easily-the “who/what” behind it is secondary.
• Millennials and Gen Z particularly like the independence of self-service. 60% of millennials regularly use chatbots for customer support needs, and 20% of Gen Z prefer to start with a chatbot and only escalate to a human if needed. These digital-savvy consumers often find it less of a hassle to interact with an automated assistant first.
All these stats underscore a clear trend: customers want quick, DIY solutions. Chatbots fit perfectly into this demand by providing an instant self-help channel embedded on websites and messaging apps. It’s telling that 73% of users now expect websites to offer chatbots for quick interactions. Businesses that provide such self-service AI options meet customers where they are, making support effortless. This convenience not only improves satisfaction but also reduces the workload on human support teams.
4. Trust, Transparency, and Reliability
For shoppers to prefer an AI chatbot, they must trust that it will actually help them. Early chatbot experiences were sometimes clunky, leading to consumer skepticism. But recent improvements in AI have significantly boosted reliability and user comfort. Most consumers now report neutral-to-positive experiences with chatbots, indicating growing trust:
"Users satisfaction with their last chatbot interaction. A 2023 survey found 69% were satisfied and another 21% were neutral, while only 10% reported being unsatisfied. This suggests that nearly 90% of consumers have had okay or good experiences with chatbots in recent times, building trust in the technology."
Notably, 87% of consumers rate their chatbot interactions as either positive or at least neutral overall. Only a small minority (around 1 in 10) have had negative experiences. Moreover, as people become more familiar with AI, outright resistance to chatbots is fading-only 9% of consumers say they oppose companies using digital assistants. In other words, 91% would be comfortable brands using chatbots this way-as long as they are effective and transparent.
But transparency is needed to maintain such comfort. Shoppers appreciate when a chatbot reveals itself to be a chatbot-and turns the conversation over to a human when it cannot adequately answer a question .In fact, many consumers combine bots and humans for the best service. Surveys show 80% of consumers are willing to use a bot if there’s an easy option to escalate to a human agent when needed. This highlights the importance of reliability-the bot should solve what it can and seamlessly refer the rest.
It’s also true that for very complex or sensitive issues, humans are still preferred for their empathy and understanding. For example, 61% of consumers say human agents understand their needs better for complicated problems. Shoppers want chatbots to be upfront about their limitations. By being transparent and focused on what they do well (quick answers, simple tasks), chatbots can actually enhance trust. Over time, as AI capabilities improve, consumers are becoming more comfortable with bots handling an expanding range of inquiries. The bottom line: shoppers will embrace chatbots if the experience is fast, accurate, and honest about when it’s an AI versus when it’s a person.
5. Conversion and Loyalty Differences
Speed, personalization, convenience, and reliability are not just buzzwords-they translate into real business outcomes. When shoppers have positive experiences with AI chatbots, they tend to convert more and stick with brands. Here are some powerful stats on how chatbots are boosting sales and loyalty:
• Higher conversion rates: Websites that deploy AI chatbots see significant uplifts in sales. A 2024 study by Glassix found that sites using chatbots enjoyed a 23% higher conversion rate on average compared to those without chatbots. Instant engagement and on-the-spot assistance can turn browsers into buyers. In retail e-commerce, chatbot prompts (like offering help or providing a quick answer) keep shoppers from dropping off. For instance, merchants who use chatbots on Facebook Messenger to follow up on abandoned carts have seen 7-25% increases in revenue from recovered sales.
• Influencing purchase decisions: Recommendations and support from chatbots are driving purchases that might not have happened otherwise. As noted, 61% of consumers say chatbot recommendations influence their buying decisions. By intelligently upselling or cross-selling relevant products (e.g. “Customers who bought X also liked Y”), chatbots can gently nudge the customer toward checkout. This often leads to higher average order values and conversion rates. Business leaders have taken notice-in one survey, executives claimed that on average chatbots increased sales by 67% for their companies. While that figure may vary by industry, it underlines the revenue potential of chatbot-assisted shopping.
• Customer loyalty and retention: Satisfying service experiences foster loyalty, and chatbots help brands deliver consistency. Fast issue resolution is a known driver of repeat business-60% of customers say a quick resolution makes a service experience satisfactory (Forrester research)-and chatbots excel at quick resolutions. Personalization also boosts loyalty: brands that excel at personalization are 71% more likely to report improved customer loyalty. By leveraging AI to remember customer preferences and purchase history, chatbots can make shoppers feel understood and valued, which increases their affinity for the brand.
• Increased engagement more loyalty: Simply being available when customers need help can strengthen loyalty. If a customer knows they can hop onto a site chat at any time and get an answer or solve a problem, they’re more likely to trust that retailer. Chatbots contribute to good CX by ensuring no question goes unanswered, even outside of normal business hours. This kind of reliable support encourages customers to come back (and to recommend the store to others).
In short, AI chatbots are becoming key drivers of both conversion and retention in e-commerce. They guide shoppers to the right products, reduce friction in the buying process, and provide immediate post-purchase support-all of which makes customers happier and more likely to buy again. Companies adopting chatbots have reported not only cost savings, but also higher customer lifetime value. As one example, a survey of business leaders found 50% of companies using chatbots saw an increase in customer satisfaction, and 47% believed chatbots would benefit their business. Loyal customers are engaged customers, which means the cost and time involved in implementing the technology for chatbots is more than worth it to gain purchases and referrals down the line.
Summing Up
In the past few years, AI chatbots have transitioned from a novelty in online shopping to a requirement of online shopping. Shoppers have grown to appreciate the speed (instant 24/7 answers), personalization (tailored recommendations and help), and ease of self-service that chatbots provide. When implemented thoughtfully-with transparency and a clear path to human support when needed-chatbots earn consumers’ trust by reliably handling routine inquiries. All these factors combine to create smoother customer experiences, which directly boost conversion rates and foster loyalty to e-commerce brands.
The data from 2020-2024 makes it clear: many consumers now prefer AI-driven chat assistance as part of their shopping journey. They enjoy getting quick answers and recommendations in real time, without the hurdles of traditional customer service. For e-commerce businesses, meeting this preference is a win-win. Customers get convenience and instant service; businesses gain higher sales and retention. As AI capabilities continue to advance, we can expect chatbot usage and shopper preferences to tilt even further in favor of these digital assistants. Brands that leverage chatbot technology effectively will be well-positioned to delight the on-demand digital shopper of the future.
With Jinn’s AI-powered sales agent, brands can offer instant product recommendations, real-time customer support, and seamless in-chat purchases-exactly what today’s digital shoppers prefer.
"Jinn: Your AI teammate for faster sales, smarter support, and happier customers."
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