AI Shopping Assistants: How to Get Your Shop Recommended by AI

Ever wondered how AI actually recommends a shop? Here’s the good news: it’s not as random as it might seem, and you’ve got more control over it than you think. AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode recommend the shops they can find, understand, and trust. So, if your shop’s information is accurate, detailed, and easy to find online, you’re already off to a flying start. And you don’t need a huge marketing budget or a tech genius on speed dial to sort it.

Shopping with AI might still feel fairly new, but it’s catching on fast, and the habits shoppers form now are likely to stick. So, the sooner your shop is easy for AI to find and recommend, the better placed you’ll be as more and more customers start their shopping this way.

And trust us, it’s worth the effort. These days, loads of shoppers are skipping the search bar altogether and simply asking AI where to shop. In fact, one in five UK shoppers now start their product search with AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, according to World Retail Congress, and more than half have bought something after an AI recommendation. That’s a lot of potential customers!

So, how do you make sure it’s your shop that pops up? Put the kettle on, and let’s go through it together.

What is an AI shopping assistant?

Put simply, an AI shopping assistant is an AI tool that helps people find and choose what to buy. Think of it as a really clued-up friend who’s always happy to help you shop. Instead of typing keywords into Google and scrolling through endless pages of results, shoppers just ask a question, like “What’s a good birthday present for a 10-year-old who loves science?”, and the assistant comes back with a handful of suggestions, often complete with prices, reviews, and where to buy them. Handy, right?

Chances are, you’ve already come across a few. ChatGPT, Google’s AI Mode, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot can all act as shopping assistants, and some big retailers even have their own, like Amazon’s Rufus. Some can go one step further and actually buy things for shoppers, a trend known as agentic commerce, although here in the UK, that’s still pretty rare. For now, most people use them to research products and figure out where to shop. And that’s exactly where your shop comes in!

Where does AI actually get its information?

Before you start changing things, it helps to know where AI tools are looking. Imagine a really thorough shopper who’s checked absolutely everywhere before giving you a recommendation. That’s basically what AI does, pulling information from:

• Product databases: Google’s Shopping Graph, for example, holds more than 50 billion product listings, with around 2 billion updated every hour (yes, every hour!). Shops add their products to it through Google Merchant Center.
• Your website: AI tools can read your pages to figure out what you sell, how much it costs, and what your policies are.
• Business listings: your Google Business Profile tells AI where you are, when you’re open, and what your customers think of you.
• What other people say about you: anything from customer reviews to a mention in the local paper.

The more all of these line up, the more confident AI feels about sending people your way. Fortunately, you have control over all of these, so let’s get each one working for you.

1. Give your Google Business Profile a bit of TLC

If you only do one thing after reading this, make it this one. Your Google Business Profile is one of the first places AI checks when someone’s after a local shop, and it won’t cost you a penny.

Spend five minutes making sure your opening hours, address, phone number, and website are all correct. (And please, please remember to update your hours for bank holidays and Christmas. Nobody likes turning up to a locked door!) Then add a proper description of what you sell, pick the right categories, and upload a few nice, recent photos of your shop and products. If you’re an Epos Now customer, our Google Business Profile integration even lets you keep on top of your Google reviews alongside everything else.

Your Google Business Profile should always be as up to date as possible to ensure that your shop looks like the reliable option. And if there’s anything extra you want to add, go ahead. After all, every extra detail could work in your favour!

2. Get your products onto Google Merchant Center

Here’s one most small shops miss, and honestly, it can make a big difference. But hang on, what is Google Merchant Center? It’s a free tool where you can upload information about the products you sell, like their names, photos, prices, and whether they’re in stock. Think of it as your shop’s product catalogue, but for Google. You’re the only one who sees Merchant Center itself, but the products you add there can pop up for shoppers right across Google, from the Shopping tab and search results to Google Maps. And they also feed into Google’s AI tools, like AI Mode, when they recommend products. It’s free to set up, and you don’t have to pay for a single ad to appear. What’s not to like?

Got a physical shop too? Then it’s worth looking at Google’s local inventory options, which let shoppers see what’s on your shelves right now. That’s exactly what AI is looking for when someone asks, “Where can I grab this today?”

3. Write like you’re chatting to a customer

Here’s another nuance to consider: nobody talks to AI the way they type into Google. You’d never ask ChatGPT for “men’s walking boots”; instead, you’d talk to it more like you would a friend. You’d ask something more like, “What are the best waterproof walking boots for wide feet under £100?”

What this means for you is that your product descriptions need to keep up. We recommend ditching the one-liners and including the good stuff: the material, sizes, colours, what it’s great for, and who it suits. Think about the questions customers ask you in the shop all the time, like “Does it come up small?” or “Will it survive a British winter?”, and answer them. A little FAQ section is another super handy trick, as AI tools love pulling answers straight from them.

4. Keep your stock and prices spot on

If your stock or prices aren’t up to date, AI might send someone to you for something you sold out of last week, or show them the wrong price. This could end up meaning a wasted trip, leading to a disappointed review. Because AI tools lean heavily on up-to-date information, a shop that’s often out of date is less likely to be recommended at all.

The good news is there’s a pretty simple fix: get your till, website and product listings talking to each other. That way, when you sell the last jumper in the shop, it disappears from your website too, without you lifting a finger. Multichannel inventory management does all of this for you automatically, so you don’t have to spend your days counting stock and updating spreadsheets. For more tips on keeping your stock in check, take a look at our guide to retail inventory management, or, with the festive rush around the corner, our guide to forecasting stock for Black Friday.

5. Let your happy customers do the talking

AI cares a lot about what other people say about you, not just what you say about yourself (fair enough, really!). That’s why reviews are so important. Make it super easy for happy customers to leave one, whether that’s a little sign by the till, a link on your receipt or a friendly “If you enjoyed your visit, we’d love a review!” at checkout. And make sure you reply to the good and the not-so-good, as it shows you’re on the ball and genuinely care.

You can do even more than just reviews, though. Getting listed in local directories, a shout-out in the local paper or a recommendation on a community Facebook group all help AI see that you’re a real, trusted shop. Need some inspiration? Our Christmas marketing ideas are full of ways to get your shop noticed this season.

6. Make sure AI can actually read your website

Okay, this one’s a little bit techy, but stick with us; we promise it’s worth it. Some websites accidentally have settings that stop AI tools from reading them, which means AI can’t see what you sell, even if your website is packed with great information. If someone else looks after your website, just ask them to check that search engines and AI tools are allowed to read it. If you use a website builder, like Shopify, Wix or Squarespace, it’s usually set up correctly from the start, but it’s still worth a quick check.

7. Ask AI what it thinks of you

Ok, this bit is actually kinda fun, and really not hard at all: go and see what AI actually says about your shop. Open up ChatGPT, Gemini, or Google’s AI Mode and ask the kinds of questions your customers would, like:

• “Where can I buy [a product you sell] in [your town]?”
• “What’s [your shop name] like?”
• “Which shops near me sell [your product category]?”

Not showing up, or spotted something that’s not quite right? No problem, now you know exactly where to focus. It’s worth checking back every few months, too, as AI tools are always learning and updating what they know. You can even ask AI for advice on how to boost your shop’s visibility, and it’ll often point out gaps you might not have noticed. Our only recommendation is to take its suggestions with a pinch of salt, as it won’t always get it right.

The secret to getting recommended? There isn’t one (and that’s good news!)

There’s no magic trick or pricey tool needed to get your shop recommended by AI. It really comes down to the stuff that’s always made a great shop: knowing your products, keeping your information accurate, and earning your customers’ trust. The only difference now is making sure all of that is crystal clear online, where AI can find it.

That’s where an Epos Now POS system comes in handy. It keeps your stock, sales, and online store in one place, so what customers and AI tools see is always up to date. And if you’re thinking about selling online for the first time, our guide to accepting payments online is a brilliant place to start. Curious about other ways AI can help your business? Check out our round-up of the top AI business solutions for small businesses.