If Anyone Is Going to Buy Directly from a Chatbot, It’s Millennials

Millennials’ behavior, more than research, is a good indicator
In a December 2016 survey by Retale, nearly 60% of US millennials said they have used a chatbot. More than half of those who had never used a chatbot said they’d be interested in trying one.

Retale—which recently launched RetaleBot, its own shopping-related bot—also found that millennials are open to making purchases from chatbots. Two-thirds of respondents said they’d be likely to buy an item directly from a chatbot, vs. only 14% who said they would not be interested in doing so.
Another firm, Sumo Heavy, in September 2016 looked at a broader swath of consumers—US internet users ages 18 to 54. About 10% of respondents reported ever using a chatbot for shopping-related activities. Half of these users said they would not use one again. And, while one-third said they’d be open to trying a chatbot, over half have no interest in using one.
The biggest reasons: Millennials tend to be more tech-savvy and likely to make a purchase via their smartphone compared with older users. A survey from Bronto Software and Ipsos found more than six in 10 millennial internet users purchase products via their smartphones, while 58% of 35- to 44-year-olds do so; just 31% of respondents ages 45 to 54 said the same.
See more at:eMarketer