AI in E-Commerce: Online Stores Overlook Valuable Potential

How Advanced is the Actual Adoption of AI in Online Retail?

The study by Uptain reveals, for the first time, the extent to which online stores are using AI. The results show how much potential remains untapped.

The Majority Has Already Tested AI

The majority of surveyed online store operators (71%) have used AI for their online store at least once. This number shows that acceptance and awareness of AI in the industry is relatively high. However, more than a quarter (29%) have never used AI. Despite the ongoing headlines about artificial intelligence, many online store operators have not yet made use of this technology.

Source: Uptain

AI in E-Commerce: Is Not Yet an Integral Part of Daily Business

The majority of online store operators (55%) use AI weekly or even more frequently. However, only 12% use the technology daily, and a mere 8% apply it multiple times a day. While AI has secured a place in many online stores, it is not yet fully integrated into everyday operations. Additionally, 45% of online stores report using AI less than once a week.

Source: Uptain

AI Potential Remains Untapped in Many Areas

For this study, online store operators reported in which areas they are already using AI. The most frequently mentioned area was content creation, with marketing following closely behind. Despite these applications, the use of AI in many other promising areas remains rare.

There are already numerous promising AI tools for data analysis, forecasting, pricing, fraud prevention, and product recommendations. Nevertheless, fewer than half (41%) of online stores rely on AI in these areas.

Conclusion

This study reveals a significant gap between AI awareness and deep integration in e-commerce operations. While most online retailers have experimented with AI, primarily for content creation and marketing, the technology has yet to become essential to daily business operations. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the industry.

As AI tools become more accessible and demonstrate clearer ROI, we can expect adoption to accelerate beyond basic applications. Forward-thinking e-commerce businesses should look beyond content generation to explore AI’s potential for data analysis, personalisation, and operational efficiency.

Those who successfully integrate AI across multiple business functions will likely gain significant competitive advantages in the coming years, as the technology moves from experimental to essential.