December 1, 2025
While using ChatGPT, a notification popped up inviting me to try a brand-new feature: ChatGPT Assisted Shopping. It instantly caught my attention. We’re literally moving from an assistant that can recommend a store… to an assistant that can recommend specific products *inside* that store. A major evolution in shopping with ChatGPT. I accepted right away, and the experience was far more advanced than I expected.
An experience that feels like talking to a real sales associate
When I asked for a pair of running shoes, ChatGPT didn’t simply display products. It asked questions very similar to those a good in-store salesperson would ask: How often do you run? On what surfaces? What matters most to you: lightness, comfort, price, or durability? You can genuinely feel the AI trying to understand the need before recommending anything. It really feels like being assisted by a virtual sales associate capable of refining suggestions just like a human salesperson would. This approach reflects the rise of AI-assisted shopping and AI-powered online purchasing.
One click, and you land directly on the right product
Each recommendation leads straight to the product page on the merchant’s website. “Direct purchasing inside ChatGPT is technically possible with a few partner platforms, but it’s not yet widespread in Québec. However, it’s clear that this capability is expanding.” This is an important step in the evolution of ChatGPT e-commerce.
The selection is limited… and here’s why
At first glance, it may seem like ChatGPT doesn’t see many stores. In reality, there are two main reasons:
- The ecosystem of compatible partners is still limited
- Not all businesses have yet invested the time or resources needed to integrate their catalog into these new technologies.
Some platforms—such as those using Bloomreach or certain Shopify integrations—have chosen to be among the first to adopt this approach, but it’s not yet the norm. As a result, the current selection appears limited not because the AI lacks data, but because only a few businesses have already completed the technical steps required to be visible in these new AI product recommendations. As more APIs and partners become available, this network will grow rapidly.
Verdict: impressive, relevant… but still text-heavy and sometimes a bit slow
ChatGPT Assisted Shopping stands out for: the quality of the questions asked; the genuine feeling of being “guided”; and the ability to compare multiple products within the conversation. But you have to enjoy reading: the descriptions are rich and detailed. Those who like analyzing product features will love it. Those who prefer a quick verdict will probably jump straight to the “top 3.” Another important point: compiling results can take time, especially when you refine your criteria multiple times. Each adjustment triggers a new analysis. That’s normal for a growing technology, and speed will improve over time. Despite these limitations, we can clearly see a new way of shopping online emerging: smarter, more personalized, and poised to become much faster as the partner ecosystem expands.
And for entrepreneurs: the perfect time to prepare
Even though access to ChatGPT Assisted Shopping is still limited, most e-commerce platforms will soon allow their products to be directly recommended by AI assistants. Preparing now means having a clean, well-structured catalog: titles, images, variants, refined descriptions, structured data for products, etc. That way, when new integrations become available to the public, your products will already be ready for this new way of shopping.
