How to integrate AI into your online store to improve the customer experience: a 2026 guide with data from Chile

E-commerce in Chile neared US$10 billion in 2025, with real growth of just over 9%, and it now accounts for 12.6% of retail, according to the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (CCS). For 2026, the CCS projects a record close to US$10.6 billion and notes that more than half of young consumers already use AI to compare prices.

Integrating AI into your online store is no longer just for big brands: today there are tools any small business can use to improve the customer experience, from search to after-sales support.

US$10B

Online sales in Chile in 2025

real growth of just over 9%

US$10.6B

Projected online sales for 2026

a record, according to the CCS

64%

Internet users in Chile who shop online

on a regular basis

6.92%

European companies using AI in marketing or sales

2025

Source: CCS, 2026; CCS, CyberDay 2026; Eurostat, 2025

View the data as a table

Online sales in Chile in 2025	US$10B | real growth of just over 9%
Projected online sales for 2026	US$10.6B | a record, according to the CCS
Internet users in Chile who shop online	64% | on a regular basis
European companies using AI in marketing or sales	6.92% | 2025

Why integrate AI into your online store now

Online sales are growing faster than the rest of retail: the CCS projects real growth of around 10% for 2026. At the same time, customers are changing how they search and compare. CyberDay 2026, one of the country's main online shopping events, added a new generative AI assistant to guide shoppers, according to the CCS.

For more e-commerce data, see our study e-commerce in numbers.

6 ways to integrate AI into your online store to improve the customer experience

1. A conversational assistant available around the clock

CyberDay 2026's "Cyber AI" assistant is one example: a generative AI conversational agent that worked as an expert advisor 24 hours a day. For an online store, an assistant like this answers questions about products, sizes, shipping or returns without making the customer wait.

2. Natural language search

The same CyberDay assistant let people search "using natural language," according to the CCS. Instead of using filters, the customer types something like "trail running shoes under $50" and the store shows matching options.

3. Personalized recommendations

AI can suggest products based on what the customer searches for or has bought before. At CyberDay, Cyber AI offered personalized suggestions that matched the user's needs with offers from participating brands.

4. Better product pages and images

E-commerce platforms now include AI to write product descriptions and edit photos. Shopify, for example, includes an assistant called Sidekick and tools to generate product copy and replace image backgrounds, according to its Help Center. To create graphics, see also our comparison of AI tools for graphic design.

5. Faster customer service

AI tools can suggest replies to customer questions so your team can answer faster. Shopify, for example, offers reply suggestions in its Shopify Inbox messaging tool. Human review is still key: Shopify itself warns that AI outputs "can contain errors."

6. Analyzing your customer data

AI helps you understand what customers buy, when and why they abandon their carts. Only 17.62% of European companies analyze their customer data, as we saw in our 2026 data-driven study. To get started, connect your store to a web analytics tool.

How many companies already use AI in marketing and sales

Since there's no official measurement in Chile, we use European companies as a reference. Use of AI in marketing or sales rises sharply with company size, according to Eurostat:

Large (250 or more)20.85%

Medium (50 to 249)10.83%

Small (10 to 49)5.79%

Total6.92%

Source: Eurostat, isoc_eb_ai

View the data as a table

Large (250 or more)	20.85%
Medium (50 to 249)	10.83%
Small (10 to 49)	5.79%
Total	6.92%

With only 5.79% of small companies using AI in marketing or sales, integrating AI into your online store is still a way to stand out.

Tools to integrate AI into your online store

Need	What the AI does	Example tool
Product pages	Writes descriptions and store copy	Shopify's text generator and Sidekick
Images	Replaces backgrounds and edits product photos	Shopify's file editor, Canva or Adobe Firefly
Customer service	Suggests replies to questions	Shopify Inbox
Advice and content	Writes, summarizes and answers questions	ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini
Analysis	Summarizes sales and customer behavior	Analytics and BI platforms

Shopify also lets you connect external assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot, and control what data each one can access, according to its Help Center. To choose an assistant, see our comparison of AI virtual assistants.

Customer experience: trust and clear rules

AI improves the customer experience only if it builds trust. In April 2026, the CCS announced it was about to present a self-regulation code for the responsible development of AI. In the meantime, these basic rules help:

• Tell customers when they're talking to an AI and always offer the option to talk to a person.
• Review what the AI writes before publishing it: prices, shipping terms and warranties must be accurate.
• Protect your customers' personal data and share only what's needed with each tool.

How to integrate AI into your online store, step by step

Step 1: find where your customers get stuck

Review frequent questions, abandoned carts and searches with no results. That's where your first opportunity is.

Step 2: start with what your platform already offers

Many e-commerce platforms include AI tools at no additional cost. Turn them on before buying something new.

Step 3: improve your product pages

Use AI to write clear descriptions and improve photos, and review every text before publishing it.

Step 4: add an assistant or reply suggestions

Start with frequent questions and always leave a way to talk to a person.

Step 5: measure the impact

Compare conversion rate, response time and sales before and after, as we explain in our guide to marketing KPIs.