Artificial intelligence is becoming a key part of online shopping, with retailers and tech companies introducing new tools to make finding and buying products easier.
What was once a novelty just a year ago—shopping assistant chatbots—is now a standard feature across apps, ecommerce websites, and search engines.
This surge comes just in time for the holiday shopping season, starting with Black Friday and running up to Christmas.
Retailers introduce smarter chatbots
Amazon led the charge with its Rufus chatbot in 2024, offering customers conversational product searches. Other retailers quickly followed.
Walmart launched Sparky, available on its app, which can summarise reviews and suggest gifts for special occasions like Christmas.
Target introduced a seasonal gift-finder chatbot, while Ralph Lauren partnered with Microsoft to create “Ask Ralph,” offering style advice.
These AI assistants allow shoppers to ask questions naturally instead of typing keywords. But results can vary.
For generic products, chatbots sometimes return unsuitable options, forcing shoppers to check product listings manually. Name-brand searches tend to perform better.
AI shopping advice across platforms
Beyond single retailers, tech companies are expanding AI shopping features to cover multiple sites. OpenAI added a “shopping research” function to ChatGPT, providing personalised guidance for complex items like electronics and appliances.
Users can turn on the feature in chat and get detailed recommendations, including specifications, prices, and images.
Google has upgraded its search engine AI to give “intelligently organised” product suggestions, drawing on over 50 billion listings.
Users can describe what they want conversationally and receive options with prices, reviews, and inventory info. Google also added similar features to its Gemini AI chatbot for US users.
Meanwhile, Perplexity now offers recommendations based on previous searches, providing a middle ground between detailed and general suggestions.
Virtual try-ons and AI-assisted purchases
AI is also transforming how shoppers visualise products. Google’s virtual try-on tool lets users upload a photo to see how clothing or shoes might look, now available in Australia, Japan, Canada, and the US. Accessories, swimwear, and lingerie remain limited.
For purchasing, Amazon and Google have launched “AI agent” tools to automate buying. Amazon’s service can even purchase out-of-stock items directly from other brands’ websites, while Google’s agentic checkout tracks price changes and can complete purchases for selected retailers.
In the US, Google now offers an AI feature that calls local stores to check stock before a visit. The bot quickly contacts nearby shops and provides availability updates, helping shoppers plan in-store trips more efficiently.
With these innovations, AI is changing the way people search, visualise, and buy products, offering a mix of convenience, speed, and personalised guidance as holiday shopping intensifies.