The Rise of AI-Driven Digital Commerce

OpenAI's new Shopping Research feature in ChatGPT marks a significant milestone in online shopping, transforming how the industry approaches customer engagement. Announced in early 2025, it enables users to ask ChatGPT for product suggestions, compare options, read reviews, and receive personalized assistance naturally, signaling a shift toward AI-driven commerce. It may seem like a valuable tool for shoppers at first, but it signals a broader industry transformation.

Image: ChatGPT Shopping Research interface. Image credit: Courtesy of OpenAI (2025), from “Introducing Shopping Research in ChatGPT.”

This shift replaces search-based shopping with AI-curated experiences, where intelligence, context, and personalization now guide the customer journey rather than endless browsing, thereby impacting global trade patterns. This change is more than just a new feature. This means that online shopping is entering a new era in which AI will be the primary decision-making partner for customers.

The End of Online Shopping as We Know It

For more than 20 years, the same pattern has been used for online shopping: search, scroll, compare, and repeat. People type in keywords, browse catalog pages, and review dozens of options by hand. This system works, but it's not very efficient and can be overwhelming at times. Recent studies of retail show that customers leave websites or abandon their carts because it takes too much work to find the "right" product. This shift is more than just a new feature; it marks a new era in which online shopping becomes a conversational experience.

ChatGPT's Shopping Research transforms interactions from simple transactions into personalized dialogues, such as when a user asks, 'What's the best laptop for graphic design under $1,500?' The AI considers thousands of factors, turning it into a digital advisor tailored to individual needs.

This is the change the industry has been waiting for: a shopping experience where customers don't have to scroll through long product lists by hand. The AI does it for them quickly, accurately, and in a way that makes sense.

The Personalization Era: Why AI Is the New Way to Connect with Customers

These days, customers want products, suggestions, and experiences that feel like they were made just for them. Old algorithms have tried to make personalization more accurate by looking at past purchases or browsing patterns, but these systems still have to guess. But conversational AI goes straight to the point. The AI adapts immediately to users' needs, budgets, tastes, and even lifestyle constraints. This is a significant change: people can now choose from more than just the brands' preset categories. Instead, they can say what they want and get results that fit their exact situation.

For instance, someone might say to ChatGPT:

• I need a vegan leather handbag for work that fits a laptop and has gold hardware.

• Can you help me find neutral-toned sneakers that are comfortable for 12-hour shifts?

• What are the best scents that smell like Maison Francis Kurkdjian but are less expensive?"

Before AI-powered shopping, search engines couldn't handle nuanced questions. Now, they can provide answers with clarity and confidence, reassuring users about AI's growing reliability in shopping.

AI as the New Engine for Consumer Behavior

ChatGPT's Shopping Research shows that AI is playing an increasingly important role in how people make decisions. This is changing the way people shop in three significant ways:

• First, AI makes it easier for people to think. Instead of having to read hundreds of reviews, conflicting opinions, and confusing product specs, the user gets a quick, balanced analysis.

• Second, AI boosts people's confidence. Structured analysis, not random ads or SEO-optimized product pages, builds trust in recommendations.

AI shortens decision time by consolidating steps into a single conversation, empowering customers to feel more in control and confident in their choices. Analysts are already saying that this change is so significant that AI, not search engines, will be the main way people shop online in the future.

The Next Generation of Online Shopping: AI in the Middle

AI-powered shopping is changing the way e-commerce works as well. More and more, retailers, marketplaces, brands, and digital platforms are putting AI at the center of their systems rather than on the periphery. Experiences that feel natural, predictive, and people-focused will shape the future of online shopping. AI-enhanced commerce will no longer be based on static product pages. Instead, it will be based on journeys that are dynamic, conversational, and context-aware.

People won't "browse" anymore; they'll "dialogue." Instead of asking Google for "best sneakers," they'll ask ChatGPT, "I walk a lot and have flat feet. What sneakers are stylish enough for casual weekend wear and support long-distance walking?"

In this future, finding new products is easy, natural, and very personalized.

What AI Does for Shopping for Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle

This change will be particularly perfect for fashion and beauty. These groups are primarily based on taste, personal expression, and individual needs. ChatGPT's conversational layer connects these slight differences. Picture a user asking:

• What dress shapes look best on small bodies?

• Find me skin care that won't bother sensitive skin and is cheap enough for a student.

• Suggest a modern bag that is similar to Celine but costs less.

In just a few seconds, the AI can look at materials, trends, reviews, color theory, size guides, climate factors, and how well the product works with different skin types. This is the kind of knowledge that only experienced fashion advisors or in-store stylists have. Now, every customer can get to it. This making of expertise available to everyone is what makes AI so revolutionary for the next wave of business.

Brands need to change, or they'll fall behind.

Brands will have to change the way they do things as AI-powered shopping becomes more common. Product pages, SEO, influencer campaigns, and traditional ads may be insufficient unless they align with conversational AI ecosystems. Brands that provide precise, structured product data and prioritize transparency, sustainability details, pricing clarity, and customer sentiment will be prioritized within AI-generated recommendations. 

Furthermore, consumers will begin to expect AI-integrated support not only in discovery but also in post-purchase experiences such as sizing guidance, usage instructions, warranty explanations, and style suggestions. The brands that integrate AI deeply into their customer journey will become leaders. Those that resist will fade into irrelevance.

The Future: AI as the Shopping Companion for Daily Life

OpenAI's Shopping Research is only the beginning. As conversational systems evolve, AI will:

• Predict needs before users express them

• Help consumers buy more thoughtfully and sustainably

• Optimize spending

• Provide instant comparisons across thousands of products

• Recommend alternatives when favorite items sell out

• Assist with repair, re-use, and long-term product care

In time, AI will not be seen as a tool, but as a trusted shopping companion, one that understands personal tastes, budgets, values, and habits. The next generation of online commerce belongs to systems that make life simpler, choices clearer, and shopping more intelligent. ChatGPT's Shopping Research feature is the first significant step toward that future, signalling a world where AI-driven commerce becomes the global standard.

Arman POUREISA

Marketing Manager

Raffles Indonesia

References

OpenAI. (2025). Introducing shopping research in ChatGPT. https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-shopping-research/

McKinsey & Company. (2025). The State of Fashion 2025: AI-powered retail transformation. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail

Deloitte. (2025). AI and the future of digital commerce. https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/technology

PwC. (2025). Global Consumer Insights Pulse: AI reshapes purchasing behavior. https://www.pwc.com/consumerinsights

Business of Fashion. (2024). How AI is reinventing online shopping. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology

Accenture. (2025). From search to conversation: The next evolution of retail. https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights

Forbes. (2025). Conversational commerce becomes the new digital storefront. https://www.forbes.com/sites

Harvard Business Review. (2024). AI-driven personalization and the future of customer experience. https://hbr.org/

Euromonitor International. (2025). Digital commerce and consumer trends 2025. https://www.euromonitor.com/

Gartner. (2025). Conversational AI’s impact on retail ecosystems. https://www.gartner.com/en/insights/retail