Gorgias releases the most comprehensive study on AI-powered conversational commerce, with data from 400 ecommerce decision-makers, 16,000+ brands, and 350M+ conversations. Insights show conversational AI is accelerating purchase cycles, creating new technical roles, and delivering measurable ROI as the industry shifts to hybrid AI-human customer experience models

Gorgias, the leading conversational commerce platform for ecommerce brands, today released The State of Conversational Commerce in 2026 Trends Report. It reveals that AI has evolved from experimentation to a strategic imperative, with 84% of brands now treating it as a core business pillar. 

Based on a comprehensive survey of 400 ecommerce decision-makers across North America, the U.K., and Europe, plus aggregated data from more than 16,000 brands, the report demonstrates that AI-driven conversations generated more than 350 million customer interactions in 2025, with AI-influenced orders growing 273% quarter-over-quarter and delivering measurable revenue impact for forward-thinking retailers.

The research identifies five key trends reshaping how ecommerce brands approach customer interactions in 2026, demonstrating that conversational AI has evolved beyond efficiency gains to become a genuine revenue driver. Rather than viewing AI as purely an automation tool, 79% of brands report that AI-driven conversational commerce has increased sales and conversions, with 60% now measuring success by average order value alongside traditional customer satisfaction metrics.

Five Trends Reshaping Ecommerce in 2026

Trend #1: AI is Table Stakes for Ecommerce and It's No Longer Just About Efficiency

AI adoption is now widespread across ecommerce, with 96% of professionals using AI to perform their roles, up from 69.2% in 2024. The question has shifted from "if" to "how, where, and how much."

Brands using Gorgias's AI Agent shopping assistant capabilities nearly doubled their conversion rates and achieved 20-50% higher conversion rates than those using AI for support only, with some brands achieving returns as high as 13x ROI.

Trend #2: Conversations are the New Path to Checkout

The traditional sales funnel is being replaced by conversation-led journeys. Winning brands are treating every channel – including chat, email, social media, voice, and SMS – as a storefront. 

During BFCM 2025, 50% of all conversation-driven purchases came from proactive AI engagement, where brands initiated assistance before customers even asked. Shoppers who engaged in conversations showed a 154% higher conversion rate compared to those who didn't.

Trend #3: AI is Accelerating the Purchase Cycle

Conversational commerce is dramatically shortening buying cycles. When Gorgias's AI Agent recommends products, 93% of purchases occur within 48 hours of the recommendation, with 80% happening the same day. 

This removes friction from product discovery and eliminates hesitation with instant answers to pre-purchase questions, making the path to purchase easier than ever.

Trend #4: AI is Making CX Teams More Technical

Contrary to widespread concerns about AI replacing human workers, the research shows 71% of brands are likely to hire new employees dedicated to AI-related ecommerce functions within the next 12 months, with 54% having already created new specialized roles such as "AI Coaches." 

Overall, 62% of brands expect to grow their teams in the coming year, with only 10% anticipating any reduction.

Trend #5: The Future is Hybrid: AI-First, Humans When It Counts

The winning model combines AI for speed and scale with human expertise for complex, high-value interactions. Many ecommerce brands are already adopting this approach, using a mix of AI and human agents for most inquiries. 

While AI handles routine tasks and scales support to 24/7 availability, human agents focus on interactions requiring empathy, judgment, and creative problem-solving.

“The next phase of ecommerce won’t be won with more tools or channels,” says Romain Lapeyre, CEO & Co-founder of Gorgias. “Brands that make conversations foundational, and invest in the knowledge that powers them, will come out on top.” 

The report also reveals strong investment momentum: with 87% of companies planning to continue investing in conversational commerce over the next 12 months and 97% having a strategy or roadmap to implement AI-powered solutions within the year.

By 2026, brands expect new standards:

• 24/7 AI chat (94%)
• AI-powered social media shopping assistants (89%)
• Personalized recommendations across all channels (87%) 

The 2026 Conversational Commerce Trends Report is based on data collected from 400 ecommerce decision-makers across the US, UK, and Europe between October and November 2025. Survey findings were validated by aggregated and anonymized data from 16,000+ Gorgias customers.