OpenAI launched a groundbreaking shopping research feature in ChatGPT on November 24, 2025, transforming the AI chatbot into an intelligent product discovery tool that directly challenges Amazon, Google Shopping, and traditional e-commerce search. Available to all logged-in users across free and paid plans—with nearly unlimited usage through the holiday season—this feature marks a significant evolution in how consumers research and purchase products online.​

How Shopping Research Actually Works

Shopping Research converts product discovery into an interactive conversation rather than a static search experience. When users pose shopping-related questions, ChatGPT automatically suggests shopping research, or users can manually select it from the menu. The system then asks clarifying questions to understand preferences, examines reputable retail websites, and gathers real-time information, including specifications, pricing, reviews, and stock availability.​

After several minutes of analysis, ChatGPT delivers a personalized buyer's guide featuring top product recommendations, key differences between options, trade-offs to consider, and current pricing and availability from reliable retailers. Users can refine their searches iteratively, compare products side-by-side, and click through to retailer websites to complete purchases. The tool performs exceptionally well in detail-heavy categories like electronics, beauty, home and garden, kitchen appliances, and sports equipment.​

The Competitive Landscape and Strategic Implications

This launch represents OpenAI's most aggressive move yet into e-commerce territory, with the company already handling 50 million shopping-related queries daily. Unlike Amazon's closed-ecosystem approach with proprietary AI tools like "Auto Buy," OpenAI has partnered with major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Etsy, and over 1 million Shopify merchants, to create an open shopping environment. Critically, OpenAI emphasizes that product results are "organic and unsponsored, ranked purely on relevance to the user" rather than paid placements—a significant departure from traditional search advertising models.​

The timing is strategic. By launching just before Black Friday with unlimited free access, OpenAI can capture holiday shoppers and potentially convert them to paid subscribers when usage limits apply in 2026. Product researcher Manuka Stratta explained that the company prioritized launching globally to ensure everyone could shop anywhere, while Instant Checkout capabilities expand as more merchants adopt the integration.​

What's Next: The Convergence of Research and Purchase

While Shopping Research currently directs users to external retailer sites, OpenAI plans deeper integration with its existing Instant Checkout feature, launched in September 2025. That functionality already allows U.S. users to purchase products directly within ChatGPT from participating merchants by tapping "Buy" and confirming payment details without leaving the chat. Nick Fulford from OpenAI acknowledged the complementary nature of these tools:

"In the future, I can totally see them being very complementary, but we just wanted to focus first on making a really great discovery experience".​

For businesses, this shift toward agentic commerce—where AI agents facilitate transactions between consumers and merchants—represents both opportunity and disruption. Etsy shares rose over 7% and Shopify's jumped 4% following the Instant Checkout announcement, signaling market confidence in conversational commerce. However, retailers face new challenges, including maintaining brand control, managing another customer service channel, and adapting to AI-mediated customer relationships. As shopping research evolves and integrates purchasing capabilities, the fundamental question becomes whether consumers will trust AI to make increasingly complex buying decisions on their behalf—and whether traditional e-commerce giants can adapt quickly enough to compete.​