Evercore ISI forecasts that Amazon’s AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus, will significantly boost e-commerce conversion rates and average order value, contributing to a projected 14% year-over-year growth in online sales for fiscal 2026.
- Rufus AI assistant projected to increase Amazon’s e-commerce conversion rates by up to 8%.
- Users engaging with Rufus show a 17% higher average order value.
- Rufus expected to reach 75 million active users by Q3 2026.
- AMZN’s e-commerce revenue forecasted to grow 14% YoY in fiscal 2026.
- Rufus increases session duration by 23% and reduces cart abandonment.
- Rufus integrated across Amazon’s mobile app, web, and voice devices.
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) is positioning its newly launched AI shopping assistant, Rufus, as a central component of its strategy to enhance customer engagement and drive e-commerce revenue growth. According to Evercore ISI, Rufus leverages generative AI to deliver personalized product recommendations, real-time shopping guidance, and proactive inventory alerts, increasing shopper confidence and reducing cart abandonment. The firm estimates that Rufus could elevate AMZN’s online conversion rates by up to 8% in the next 12 months, based on internal pilot data and behavioral analytics. Analysts point to specific performance benchmarks: Rufus-powered sessions show a 17% higher average order value compared to standard browsing sessions, and users engaging with the assistant spend 23% more time on the platform. These metrics suggest a meaningful uplift in customer lifetime value and retention. The assistant is integrated across Amazon’s mobile app, web platform, and voice-enabled devices, enabling seamless cross-channel interactions. The projected 14% year-over-year increase in AMZN’s e-commerce revenue for fiscal year 2026 is partly attributed to Rufus’s expansion, which Evercore ISI expects to reach 75 million active users by Q3 2026. This growth is particularly impactful in international markets, where Rufus’s multilingual capabilities are enhancing local user adoption. The assistant is also being used to optimize inventory allocation and dynamic pricing, improving supply chain efficiency. Market participants are responding positively, with AMZN shares rising 3.2% following the Evercore ISI report. Retail investors and institutional analysts alike are viewing Rufus as a competitive moat against rivals like Walmart and Shopify, especially as AI-driven personalization becomes a key differentiator. The success of Rufus could also influence Amazon’s broader AI investment strategy, potentially accelerating the rollout of AI tools across its logistics, advertising, and AWS divisions.