{
  "id": 329054,
  "title": "Retailers tap AI traffic but fight to keep customer data",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/retailers-tap-ai-traffic-but-fight-to-keep-customer-data",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-08T21:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Qatar Tribune Business",
    "slug": "qatar-tribune-business",
    "url": "https://www.qatar-tribune.com/article/247882/business/retailers-tap-ai-traffic-but-fight-to-keep-customer-data"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "With shoppers turning to AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Google's Gemini for product recommendations, retailers are vying to appear in chatbot results without willingly sharing customer data that fuels online sales. Major retailers like Walmart, Ulta Beauty, and Wayfair are updating their websites to rank higher in chatbot searches, yet they seek to keep purchases within their own websites for collecting data on customer browsing habits, basket sizes, and past purchases. Juniper Research predicts shoppers will spend $8 billion this year due to AI agents directing them to retail sites. Adobe Analytics reported that 41% of US consumers utilized generative AI for online shopping in June, with visitors from AI services generating 41% higher revenue per visit compared to traditional channels.\n\nUnlike search engines that rank pages based on keywords and links, chatbots answer detailed questions, prompting retailers to alter how they describe products online and how customers discover brands. Ulta Beauty's head of digital and e-commerce, Josh Friedman, emphasized the importance of being present on all platforms, including Google search, affiliate marketing, and social media, but still desires customers to conclude transactions on Ulta's website. Ulta is experiencing \"double the conversion and intent\" for shoppers finding its products via Gemini and ChatGPT, and is working with Google to integrate shopping carts and its rewards program into AI-powered shopping within Gemini.\n\nRetailers argue that they possess superior knowledge of customer preferences compared to general-purpose AI tools. Vince Koh, AWS's global head of digital commerce, stated that when a shopper completes a purchase on a brand's own site, the retailer maintains a direct relationship with the customer. AWS encourages retail clients, including Kate Spade's Kate Spade, to employ AI platforms for product marketing while ensuring their own websites remain the best place to buy. When customers use AWS-powered search tools on Kate Spade's website to look for $380 suede bucket bags, the company can personalize recommendations based on viewed products, budgets, and style preferences, thereby building customer loyalty.\n\nWedding-planning platform The Knot is optimizing its website to have vendors appear in ChatGPT results but is encouraging couples to finalize wedding venues and invitations through the company's website. CEO Raina Moskowitz stated that LLMs (large language models) are additional avenues for planning, but they have three decades of data to assist in coordinating weddings. Although AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini are becoming crucial for marketing products, consumers still prefer completing purchases on retailers' own websites. In March, OpenAI discontinued Instant Checkout, a feature allowing users to purchase items directly through ChatGPT.",
  "summary": "AgenciesAs shoppers increasingly turn to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini for product recommendations, retailers are racing to appear in chatbot results while resisting efforts to cede...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}