Conversational Commerce: How Shopping on Amazon is Changing

Conversational commerce is changing the way we shop online, combining real-time chat and artificial intelligence to create a faster and more intuitive experience. After an uncertain start, voice shopping is experiencing a new phase of growth thanks to generative AI: between 2021 and 2023, sales via voice commands quadrupled, with strong usage from Generation Z. Today, thanks to increasingly sophisticated chatbots, it’s possible to complete a purchase with just a few words—without navigating through dozens of pages.

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ChatGPT is the New Shopping Engine

In this landscape, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is establishing itself as a new shopping platform—and in doing so, it’s significantly changing consumer habits.

Unlike traditional search engines, ChatGPT doesn’t rank products based on paid ads or SEO tricks. Instead, it uses an algorithm focused on what the user truly wants. It considers personal preferences, past purchases, and AI-powered reasoning.

Here’s how the product selection process works:

• Personalized search: ChatGPT analyzes your request to detect clues about what you’re really looking for. It evaluates your budget, dislikes, and preferred style, then selects the products it believes are the best fit.

• External data sources: It gathers product information like prices, descriptions, and reviews from external databases—not directly from brand sites or Amazon.

• Smart filters: The system identifies which features matter most to you (low price, ease of use, quality) and filters results accordingly.

• Safety checks: Only products that pass OpenAI’s safety standards are shown in the interface.

>>> Also read our article: Innovative Packaging – Amazon’s New Solutions for the Future of Shipping. <<<

How Results Are Displayed

It’s also important to note that paid placements do not influence the results. ChatGPT does not display ads or accept product sponsorships. This means that rankings are fully AI-driven—sellers cannot buy visibility; they must earn it through the relevance of their offerings.

That said, the results appear in a visual carousel within the chat, featuring:

• Image and price pulled from the first listed seller

• Simplified description and link for easy scanning and clicking

• AI tags: Labels like “Affordable” or “Most Popular” may appear, though they’re not independently verified

• Review summaries: Some listings display pros and cons generated by AI using third-party review data

Even the seller selection follows a different process:

• External data sources: Featured sellers are based on preset third-party rankings, not OpenAI’s

• No direct submissions: Sellers cannot upload listings or manually influence the rankings

This is clearly a significant shift, as ChatGPT moves from a Q&A tool to a true engine of product search and discovery. For sellers, adapting to this new channel means:

• Optimizing product data across major marketplaces

• Ensuring visibility on third-party platforms that OpenAI may use for data sourcing

• Focusing on user intent positioning—budget-friendly options, trending items, or top-rated products

As voice and chat-based shopping accelerates, understanding how AI engines like ChatGPT curate products will be crucial to staying competitive.

How Conversational Commerce Improves Shopping

As we’ve seen, conversational AI is quietly revolutionizing how we buy online—turning digital conversations into instant purchases. The traditional process of browsing across tabs is quickly giving way to single-command shopping enabled by advanced AI systems.

So how exactly does conversational AI improve the shopping process?

First of all, unlike old-school chatbots, today’s AI systems don’t just suggest products—they complete purchases on behalf of the user. They connect directly to store platforms to check availability, apply discounts, and process payments in seconds, all within the same conversation.

The technology removes common friction points that often cause customers to abandon purchases:

• Account creation

• Manual entry of discount codes

• Complicated checkout processes

Every unnecessary click between product discovery and purchase increases the risk of cart abandonment.

The technical architecture behind this shift includes real-time integration systems that keep product data up to date and deliver order confirmations almost instantly. Some systems perform these tasks with latency as low as 50 milliseconds, ensuring a seamless experience.

This new purchase journey is also changing how stores think about customer acquisition. If buyers complete the entire journey—from discovery to payment—within the same AI interface, traditional ad models may evolve into deeper integrations with product catalogs.

>>> Also read our article: How to Sell on Amazon USA – The Complete Guide for European Sellers.<<<

Preparing for the Conversational Shopping of the Future

The rise of conversational commerce is changing how brands interact with consumers and create content. E-commerce businesses must adapt their strategies, moving beyond technology to prioritize authentic and conversational brand experiences. Let’s take a look at how—starting with what brands need to change.

Sellers must recognize that AI assistants are accelerating the customer journey by up to 30%, requiring a complete rethink of traditional marketing processes. Integrating commerce directly into conversations removes friction and opens new opportunities for instant purchases.

To succeed, brands must shift creative focus from keyword optimization to designing conversational experiences that reflect brand personality and foster emotional connection. This allows brands to move from rigid platform requirements to flexible, natural interactions with consumers.

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E-commerce teams should build creative frameworks that serve as blueprints for AI-based conversations, with brand values and storytelling at the core of customer engagement. This ensures scalable, consistent, and personalized dialogue across millions of touchpoints.

Some practical actions to implement include investing in creative operations that balance strategic vision with AI efficiency; partnering with tech providers who simplify digital asset management and automate routine tasks; and developing internal capabilities to rapidly adapt conversational content for new AI commerce channels.