In this episode of The New Frontier, Max sits down with Ian Simpson, SVP of Innovation at Sensor Tower, to unpack new data on how Amazon shoppers are using Rufus, Amazon’s AI shopping assistant. Based on a panel of 60,000 real U.S. shoppers tracked over 18 months, Sensor Tower found that heavy Amazon users now include Rufus in around 60% of shopping sessions—and shoppers who use Rufus are up to 2.74x more likely to purchase than those who don’t.

Ian explains why the headline is less about Rufus magically creating demand, and more about high-intent shoppers adopting AI to help them find exactly what they already want to buy. The discussion dives into Sensor Tower’s methodology, the difference between web and app behavior, Black Friday and Q1 shopping patterns, and why Rufus usage drops during deal-led browsing events like Amazon’s Big Spring Sale.

Max and Ian also explore what this means for brands selling on Amazon. As AI shopping assistants become embedded in the customer journey, product discovery is changing fast—and brands need to understand how to show up when shoppers ask Rufus for help. From agentic commerce to AI-driven product search, this episode offers a data-backed look at where Amazon shopping is heading next.

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60% of Amazon Shoppers Use Rufus, and Those Who Do Purchase 2.74x More: Ian Simpson of Sensor Tower on Tracking 60,000 Shoppers

The New Frontier: The Agentic Commerce &amp; Answer Engine Optimization podcast

The New Frontier: The Agentic Commerce & Answer Engine Optimization podcast