AI Shopping Assistant (And What It Means for E-commerce)

You know that moment when your trusty Fitbit (yeah, I said Fitbit, laugh all you want ??) breaks while receiving a spike during a volleyball game? ?? Yeah, that happened. This is why "jewelry" is not allowed while playing—but that kind of defeats the purpose of fitness trackers, doesn’t it? And no, I’m not about to wear a fancy Apple Watch ? during competitive sports!

So there I was, needing a new fitness tracker, wondering if I should upgrade to something sturdier but dreading the endless Reddit threads and YouTube reviews. ?? That’s when I had an idea: why not ask #GenAI ?? to be my shopping assistant?

I told it what I needed—basic activity tracking, sleep monitoring, nothing fancy. But here’s where it got interesting: instead of just listing products, it suggested what factors to consider before deciding. Smart, right? ?? So I told it to ask me questions to narrow its recommendations. I also asked it to find me customer reviews and prices. ????

This worked so well that I tried the same approach when upgrading my pickleball gear. (Side note: Is anyone else being stalked by pickleball ads on Instagram? Meta's algorithms know my new obsession is real!) Previous me would have impulse-bought whatever looked good, as a matter of fact, I had a few options in my #Amazon shopping cart. But AI assisted me by learning about my hand size, a shoulder injury that would influence my racket choice, etc. Mind. Blown. How I wish GenAI was around when I was mattress shopping. I know many of you can relate!

B2B vs B2C

Interestingly, my research habits differ here. I've been using GenAI for competitive brand searches for B2B products, and as a B2B decision-maker I still take the time to review the websites, ask my peers, and dig a little deeper, but for personal purchases of a certain amount, I don't spend the time.

The E-commerce Reality Check

Traditional e-commerce search bars are starting to feel like flip phones in an iPhone world. When AI can understand context, preferences, and personal needs, why are we still forcing customers to guess the right keywords? The brands that will win tomorrow are the ones rethinking their product discovery experience today - from search functionality to how product details are structured and served. The way we research products is evolving fast. While we're busy optimizing for traditional search, our customers are having heart-to-heart chats with AI about their specific needs.

The Plot Twist for Businesses

1. ?? SEO and Search: We're moving from "searching for products" to "having conversations about our needs." When was the last time you told Google about your shoulder injury while shopping? For #brands, is your brand showing up when users ask GenAI?
2. ? Personalization: Consumers are expecting AI to do the heavy lifting in narrowing choices. ?? Are you enabling your product data to be AI-friendly?
3. ?? Content Strategy: Are your product features, benefits, and differentiators clear enough to stand out in an AI-assisted search? ??
4. ?? Advertising: Advertising still works for both the awareness and consideration stages, but a more personalized ad experience ?? is now expected.

For both B2C and B2B companies, the takeaway is clear: the way we search is shifting. Whether you’re selling smartwatches or enterprise software, being visible and relevant in an AI-driven discovery process is the next frontier.

Because that's what's going to matter when your potential customers ask AI, "What should I buy?"

#ArtificialIntelligence #ConsumerBehavior #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfRetail #MarTech #AI #ProductDiscovery #ProductResearch #SEO #PPC #FutureOfSearch #GoogleSearch #B2CShopping #Ecommerce