06/30/2026
One thing we've noticed over the last year is that the biggest eCommerce brands aren't using AI differently because they have bigger budgets.
They're thinking about it differently.
They don't think of AI as just a set of tools.
They install AI into connected systems.
We were reading about Slazenger recently. By using AI to orchestrate acquisition, customer journeys, email, SMS, and web messaging together, they reported a **700% increase in customer acquisition** and a **49x ROI**.
It's easy to dismiss results like that because they're a global brand with deep pockets.
But what stood out to us wasn't the size of the investment.
It was the strategy.
Today, Shopify brands of virtually any size can access many of the same AI capabilities:
• Agentic media buying
• Personalized shopping experiences
• Intelligent lifecycle marketing
The real opportunity isn't adding another AI tool.
It's connecting acquisition, customer experience, and retention into one intelligent growth system where every stage makes the next one stronger.
That's exactly why we put this infographic together.
We believe the brands that separate themselves over the next few years won't necessarily be the ones spending the most.
They'll be the ones building the smartest connected systems.