Chatbots hit the shops. Perplexity and OpenAI step into e-commerce

Perplexity has rolled out a feature that guides the user from their initial question right through to checkout. Recommendations are displayed on cards with parameters and review summaries, and payment is made in the same conversation window, thanks to its integration with PayPal. Importantly, Perplexity doesn’t take on the seller role. The stores remain the transaction party: they handle orders, returns and customer contact.

OpenAI has taken a different approach. They’ve introduced shopping research — a tool that guides users through the entire process of searching for and comparing products. ChatGPT asks clarifying questions, analyzes reviews, checks specifications and builds a buyer’s guide based on GPT-5 mini, specifically trained for shopping tasks. OpenAI has also announced Instant Checkout, which will allow direct purchases in the chat for merchants integrated with Shopify.