AI is emerging as a serious customer acquisition channel for online brands, according to new Shopify data which shows AI-referred shopping sessions converted at an 80 per cent higher rate than organic-search sessions between April and June 2026.
The findings come from The Entrepreneur Effect, a global data hub Shopify launched on 14 October 2026. It draws on Shopify platform data, merchant and third-party surveys, and economic-impact modelling
However, according to Shopify, the conversion gap is only part of the story.
Over the same April–June period:
– Orders from AI referrals had 14 per cent higher average order values
– AI channels drove nearly twice as many orders from new buyers as other channels
– 75 per cent of AI-referred sales went to merchants selling outside Shopify’s 100 most common product categories
This suggests AI discovery may especially help niche brands, and Shopify argues that agentic search, where shoppers ask an AI chat tool for a curated recommendation, delivers buyers who are better informed and more motivated to purchase.
Australia’s slice of the boom
Australian businesses on Shopify generated AUD $101.1 billion in economic activity in the year to 30 June 2026 and supported 300,000 jobs. Australian merchants have also grown cross-border sales by 119 per cent since 2022.
Globally, Shopify’s merchant and partner ecosystem generated about USD $1.2 trillion in economic activity, roughly AUD $1.73 trillion, up 110 per cent from 2022.
Shopify-powered businesses supported about 9.6 million jobs worldwide, a 193 per cent increase over the same period.
The data also points to faster, cheaper paths into business:
– About 1.2 million stores made their first sale on Shopify in 2025, roughly one every 26 seconds
– First-time sellers on the platform have grown sevenfold since 2018
– 78 per cent of surveyed merchants built their stores themselves, and 41 per cent of stores launch with a single product
– 43 per cent more stores now make a first sale within one day of signing up, compared with 2022
“Entrepreneurship is what happens when ambition meets agency,” said Shopify president Harley Finkelstein.
“We’ve never seen that happening faster, in more places, and with greater success, than we’re seeing today.”
James Lewin, COO and co-founder of Australian brand Empress Athleticus added: We’re not limited by finances in the same way anymore. We’re limited by our imagination and our effort,” he said.
Lewin added a caution: entrepreneurship “is not for everyone,” and founders must keep learning and pivoting.
