Shopify says AI traffic is up 7x since January, AI-driven orders are up 11x

E-commerce software provider Shopify Enthusiastic about AI-powered shopping agents, cited AI as an “incredible tool” to enable more entrepreneurs and called it the “biggest change in technology since the Internet” during a third-quarter earnings call. Company, which ChatGPT has partnered with developer OpenAI In September, it reported that traffic from AI tools to its online stores had increased sevenfold since January this year, and purchases had increased 11 times thanks to AI-powered searches.

According to Shopify President Harley Finkelstein, the company’s advantage in the AI ​​age comes from its ability to access data from millions of merchants and billions of transactions and its “founder mode” mindset to ship products faster.

This also includes its internal tools, such as Scout, which uses AI to help Shopify staff sift through millions of pieces of merchant feedback to make better product decisions.

“And Scout is just one of many tools we’re developing to launch our own signals, whether it’s support tickets, usage data, reviews, social interactions or even Sidekick Urges quick, informed decisions, Finkelstein said on the call. It’s at the heart of our engine that powers everything we create.

In addition to ChatGPT, Shopify is working with Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot for other in-chat shopping experiences. A recent Shopify survey found that 64% of shoppers said they were “likely” to use AI to some extent when shopping.

“We’re building and investing in this infrastructure to make buying easier in every AI conversation,” Finkelstein said. “I think the fact that we’re already working with leaders in the space should be a testament to the fact that we want to make sure merchants on Shopify are better prepared than those who aren’t.” It’s still obviously very, very early,” he continued. “But what we’re really trying to do is lay the rails for agentic trade.”

While the company is currently focused on connecting AI agents, it’s also prepared for the fact that there will be “different shifts” in how agentic commerce evolves, Finkelstein added, which means being prepared for “whichever path wins.”

“It was the same thing when social commerce started getting a lot of attention or when [people realized it wasn’t] E-Commerce Vs Physical Commerce But. . . This concept of commerce everywhere,” he added.

Separately, Shopify’s Q3 financial results saw revenue rise 32% to $2.84 billion, ahead of estimates, and profit of $264 million, or 20 cents per share. However, the stock fell on news that the company’s operating income was $434 million Miss $437 million estimate.