OpenAI has introduced a new Shopping Research tool inside ChatGPT, enabling users to compare products, track prices, view reviews, and receive personalized buying recommendations.
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| OpenAI’s Shopping Research tool brings real-time product data, comparisons, and personalized suggestions to ChatGPT, signaling a strategic move into e-commerce assistance. Image: CH |
Tech Desk – December 6, 2025:
OpenAI has announced a major expansion of ChatGPT’s capabilities with the introduction of a new tool called Shopping Research, designed to transform how users research and compare products online. The move signals OpenAI’s growing ambition to position ChatGPT not just as a conversational assistant, but as a full-fledged digital shopping companion.
The Shopping Research tool offers users a centralized way to gather real-time information on a wide range of products. Unlike traditional search engines, which scatter information across multiple links, ChatGPT now consolidates prices, specifications, reviews, and availability in one place.
According to OpenAI, the tool allows users to directly compare multiple products based on detailed features, price fluctuations, discounts, delivery timelines, and additional benefits. This holistic overview aims to reduce the time and effort consumers spend browsing e-commerce sites or multiple comparison platforms.
Beyond raw data, the tool integrates ChatGPT’s strength in personalization. Users can set a budget, describe their preferences or needs, and activate ChatGPT’s memory feature for more tailored results over time. This means the assistant can suggest items that better match long-term habits, not just one-time queries.
Such personalization could significantly influence purchasing decisions, giving OpenAI a unique role in the e-commerce journey—one currently dominated by search engines, marketplaces, and influencer-driven recommendations.
OpenAI’s rollout includes a dedicated visual interface that guides users through the process. Instead of typing long prompts, shoppers can simply select their budget range, upload or describe product details, and instantly receive structured comparisons.
This interface aims to make product research more intuitive for non-technical users, bridging the gap between classic e-commerce filters and conversational AI insights.
Experts note that tools capable of steering user decisions—such as comparing products or recommending alternatives—could open lucrative revenue streams for OpenAI. Partnerships with brands, affiliate models, or premium shopping analytics could emerge as the technology matures.
OpenAI has not formally announced any monetization plans, but the strategic potential is clear: by embedding itself in the shopping decision-making process, ChatGPT becomes an influential intermediary between consumers and retailers.
The Shopping Research tool is being released in phases to logged-in ChatGPT users across mobile and web. Notably, it will be available across all subscription tiers—Free, Go, Plus, and Pro—suggesting OpenAI wants the feature to reach a wide audience quickly.
This inclusive rollout also helps OpenAI gather large-scale user feedback before expanding or monetizing the tool in new ways.
With the introduction of Shopping Research, ChatGPT is stepping into a new role in the digital economy. By merging product data, real-time insights, and personalized recommendations, OpenAI aims to redefine how consumers make informed purchases.
If the tool proves effective, it could mark the beginning of a new era where AI assistants—not search engines—become the first stop in the online shopping journey.