Glovo reported that customers arriving through AI-assisted shopping journeys convert into orders at a higher rate than the platform’s average: 41% versus a 33% average in the Glovo app, Caroline Mutuku said at Glovo Kenya’s Future of Commerce Summit.
How AI shopping journeys differ from traditional discovery
AI assistants let customers describe what they need in ordinary language, helping to narrow requests and suggest options rather than forcing users to browse categories or craft precise search terms. Glovo has integrated with ChatGPT and Claude so users can use conversational AI to find products before continuing to Glovo to complete purchases. In that integration the assistant recommends items, but the customer completes the transaction on Glovo’s platform — where product information, availability, delivery options and checkout still determine whether an order is placed.
What the conversion figures show and what they don’t
The 41% conversion rate for AI-originated orders reported by Mutuku is higher than the app average of 33%, which suggests AI-assisted journeys may bring customers closer to purchase or arrive with stronger intent. The summit figures do not, however, specify the measurement period, the size of the AI-originated sample or the precise conversion definitions used, and they do not establish whether AI-originated customers spend more, order more frequently or remain active for longer. Mutuku also presented search growth across non-food categories between January and September 2026: baby products searches rose 48%, beauty and personal-care searches rose 45%, small electronics and accessories rose 42%, and large electronics and appliances rose 40%.
A higher conversion rate is commercially useful but incomplete as a sole metric. Platforms must also measure order value, repeat purchases, cancellation rates, customer acquisition costs and the reliability of recommendations. Merchants need accurate, up-to-date product information and inventory data to ensure conversational recommendations match what can actually be delivered; otherwise the convenience of discovery can be undermined by unavailable items or price mismatches. There is also a distinction between assisting a customer to decide and acting on their behalf, which gains importance as assistants take more steps in the purchase flow.
The figures presented at the summit give Glovo a commercial signal to continue developing the AI channel. Whether that advantage persists as AI shopping reaches more customers will depend on the quality of the full journey from initial query through fulfilment and delivery.
