Stats around sales through Amazon’s AI assistant Rufus show this is no longer an experiment…
In the clearest sign yet that shoppers are ready for AI-driven buying, there was one standout update in Amazon’s Q3 2025 earnings call – data showing that Rufus, the in-app shopping assistant, has made the move from early trial to mainstream habit, all in a matter of months.
Used by more than 250 million customers in 2025 to date, year-on-year figures show monthly users up by 140% and interactions by 210%.
But more importantly, the report finds that customers who use Rufus during a shopping trip are 60% more likely to complete a purchase.
And the sales figures themselves?
Rufus is on track to deliver around £8 billion ($10b) in incremental annualised sales.
The Real Story
For brands, the real story isn’t the technology, it’s the behaviour.
AI has gone mainstream, acting as a normalised and trusted part of how people buy.
Shoppers are growing comfortable letting Rufus help them choose; asking natural questions, browsing conversationally and potentially even making complete buying decisions without leaving the Amazon environment.
And that’s a shift that changes the rules of discoverability because, in a conversation-driven search scenario, brands are competing for context: with success depending on how well Rufus – similarly to voice search tools like Alexa+ – understands, categorises and recommends your products based on language, data and relevance.
The opportunity – and the challenge
Rufus might still feel basic for complex searches, but these figures show that its influence on purchase journeys is undeniable.
That means that the brands that adapt their listings, content and data around conversational intent will be the ones most visible to AI-guided customers.
And that means it’s time to step beyond traditional SEO and start planning for AI-ready discoverability – where product clarity, brand consistency and structured data determine what gets surfaced, not just your keywords.
What should brands do now?
If your brand isn’t already, you need to start:
- Optimising for natural language, thinking about how customers ask questions aloud, not just what they type.
- Strengthening product data to ensure every listing is structured, consistent and machine-readable.
- Leveraging your reviews and Q&As, because the authentic customer language you’ll find here can help you reinforce relevance for AI.
- Tracking your Rufus exposure, looking at how visibility and conversion come together across your catalogue.
- Building conversational continuity, aligning your tone, data and messaging across Rufus, Alexa+ and search.
The Bottom Line
Rufus’ success shows that AI-driven shopping is no future forecast, it’s current consumer behaviour.
As Amazon continues to embed AI into every stage of discovery, the brands that win will be those who combine structured data with strategic storytelling – the kind that helps Rufus, and every shopper, find them first.
Want to strengthen your brand’s AI-readiness? Our Amazon experts can help you optimise your content, data and discoverability for the era of AI-powered shopping.