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October 2025 • Issue 25:10:02

Insider's report on payments

Addressing the downside of AI

AI-driven traffic at retail websites surging

Now, as we approach the year-end holiday shopping season
artificial intelligence is coming of age as a tool helping
shoppers select that perfect gift. Adobe Research reported
that AI-driven traffic to retail websites in the United States
surged 4,700 percent over the past year, and 85 percent of
shoppers who have used AI to shop said it improved their
shopping experience.

According to UserTesting, a provider of human insights
for enterprises, one in three consumers across the United
States, the U.K. and Australia plan to integrate AI into their
holiday shopping this year. Adoption is likely to be highest
among Gen Z (56 percent of that generation surveyed plan
By Patti Murphy to use AI) and millennials (50 percent).

one are the days when changes in shopping The top ways shoppers in the study plan to use AI include:
and payment trends were slow to take shape.
It took generations from the onset of electronic • Brainstorming gift ideas (39 percent)
G funds transfers to displace the billions of checks • Finding the lowest prices (37 percent)
written each year by Americans.
• Getting direct product links (36 percent)
Early in my career the treasurer of one of the largest grocery • Checking whether a deal is truly worthwhile (30 per-
chains in Florida told me his stores cashed more checks cent)
than the largest bank in that state at the time. Recently,
that same grocery chain, Kroger, signed an agreement
with electronic payment processing giant Worldpay for
comprehensive payment processing across in-store, online Contributed articles inside by:
and mobile shopping channels.

"As payments methods continue to evolve, we look forward Allen Kopelman .....................................................................................16
to helping keep Kroger at the leading edge of commerce Chris Jones ..............................................................................................18
innovation," Jason Pavona, general manager, North
America, at Worldpay, said in a press release. What do Jaki Kackert .............................................................................................28
you want to bet that check clearing isn't mentioned in that Viktoria Soltesz ......................................................................................30
agreement?
Chad Otar ................................................................................................33
Meanwhile, it took one generation for ecommerce to become Ken Musante ..........................................................................................34
a go-to way to shop. Americans spent $1.34 trillion online
in 2024, according to the banking giant Capital One. In the Kamran Hedjri ........................................................................................36
first quarter of 2025, ecommerce accounted for 15.9 percent
of all retail sales in the United States, to total $275.8 billion.
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