ChatGPT checkout is for boring and expensive buys. Things that need research to figure out what to buy. I don’t think it works for expensive and fun items like fashion or sport because that needs more visuals and richer media. On the flip side, fun and cheap seem best fit for impulse buys like TikTok Shop. Boring and cheap, like toilet paper, are already super easy and fast to buy on Amazon.
Etsy was an odd choice for the first shopping partner, since it is mostly in the fun category and buying that through chat is not fun. Speaking more broadly, visuals are super important for shopping. And crucial to unlock fun. That’s why TikTok works and why images and videos are key. I don’t want to chat about a shirt; I want to see it in different environments, virtually try it on, and watch videos with it.
I expect Amazon and Walmart will easily nail the automated boring buying and reordering. I also expect the many niche AI tools to crack expensive and fun categories like fashion. I don’t think ChatGPT shopping is universal, especially while it is limited to chat and product-grid results. No way I’m buying a car based on its recommendations but figuring out which robot vacuum to get seems perfect for it.
