Niche AI Shopping Assistants Outperform Tech Giants

As the holiday season approaches, OpenAI and Perplexity have unveiled AI shopping assistants to transform product search and purchase. OpenAI’s ChatGPT leverages its vast user base and Shopify integration to enable in-chat checkout and image-based searches. Perplexity AI uses memory retention and contextual understanding to deliver personalized product recommendations based on past interactions and location. Niche startups like Onton (interior design), Daydream (fashion), and Phia (general shopping) compete by harnessing proprietary datasets and domain-specific algorithms that excel in specialized markets. With Adobe forecasting a 520% surge in AI-assisted e-commerce this season, the battle between broad-scale platforms and specialized AI shopping assistants intensifies. Success will hinge on combining scale with deep expertise to meet diverse consumer needs.