AI shopping tools

OpenAI's ChatGPT has rolled out a virtual try-on feature for clothing, letting users see how garments would look on them while shopping in the app. The capability takes a page from Google Shopping, which has offered similar try-on tools. Tech watchers are calling it another sign of ChatGPT expanding into e-commerce and challenging Google's shopping features.

Adobe is projecting a record $275.1 billion in US online holiday sales this season, with traffic referred to retailers by AI tools expected to jump 130% compared with last year. The forecast points to generative AI assistants becoming a meaningful new channel for shopping discovery, adding to traditional channels like search and email during the peak retail period.

Adobe forecasts a 130% surge in AI-driven traffic to US retail sites during the upcoming holiday shopping season, as more consumers use generative AI tools and chatbots to research products, compare prices and find deals. The prediction, reported by Yahoo Finance, points to AI assistants becoming a meaningful new channel for retailers competing for holiday shoppers, alongside traditional search and email traffic.

Meta has introduced Muse, an AI assistant that can browse products and complete purchases on a user's behalf. According to CNBC's coverage, the tool handles the shopping and checkout process end to end, marking Meta's push into agentic AI for commerce and raising questions about how automated buying will reshape online retail.

OpenAI has rolled out a virtual try-on capability in ChatGPT, letting users upload a photo and see themselves wearing clothes rendered by the company's latest image model. Outfits can be saved for later, making the feature usable as a shopping and styling tool. Coverage by Engadget is drawing attention as the latest example of AI image generation moving into everyday retail use.

Conagra, the US packaged-food company, says artificial intelligence is changing snack shopping habits. According to comments reported by Reuters, consumers are examining ingredients more closely and increasingly using AI tools to guide purchasing decisions, asking broader questions about what to buy rather than searching for one specific product.

Toyota posted a strong sales performance in September, a surge that industry outlet Automotive News is linking to broader changes in how car buyers shop. Attention is also turning to how artificial intelligence is reshaping the retail customer journey, with dealers and retailers exploring AI tools to guide customers from first search to final purchase.

Retail TouchPoints is asking whether consumers are prepared for agentic commerce from Muse AI, where AI agents handle shopping tasks on behalf of customers. The piece explores how retailers might adopt this technology and whether shopper trust and readiness can keep pace with rapidly advancing AI shopping tools.

eMarketer has released an AI Visibility Index tracking which apparel and fashion brands are gaining ground and leading in visibility across AI-driven platforms. The ranking highlights movers and leaders in the sector as companies increasingly compete to appear in AI-generated shopping answers and recommendations. Industry watchers are examining which fashion brands are adapting fastest to this new layer of digital discovery.

Meta's AI assistant Muse has entered a partnership with Shopify to expand AI-powered purchasing and store management support, starting in North America. The tie-up will let merchants use agentic AI tools to assist customers with buying decisions and run online stores more efficiently. The news is being shared in Japanese business and tech circles, with attention on how Meta's AI, built on its Llama models, will compete in the fast-growing AI commerce space.

Retailers are being surveyed on which generative AI tools they actually put into production in ecommerce during 2026. Discussion centers on practical deployments rather than pilots: product recommendations, automated content creation, and customer service automation are the main areas cited. The conversation is prompting retailers and analysts to assess how far AI has moved from experimentation into core shopping experiences and what results it is delivering.

The tech industry is heavily promoting AI-powered shopping bots, but The Register reports the technology remains years away from reliable real-world use. Despite the hype around automated assistants that can search, compare and buy products for consumers, current systems are said to be immature, leaving retailers and shoppers waiting for practical tools that can actually deliver on the promise.

New reporting from Chain Store Age indicates fashion shoppers are most interested in AI shopping tools when those tools help them save money. The finding suggests price-related features such as deal discovery and discount alerts resonate more with consumers than other AI applications in fashion retail, signalling where retailers may focus their AI investments.