Online Retailers Poorly Prepared for AI Shopping

Recent research shows that 77 percent of online retailers do not have sufficient quality product data to fully utilize AI shopping in Google Gemini and AI Mode. This study, conducted by the Utrecht-based feed company Channable, analyzed the product feeds of 9,689 sellers. Less than 1 percent of these online retailers achieved a score of 80 points or higher, which appears to be the threshold for a good fit with AI assistants.

The product feeds, which are essential for displaying products and their features in Google, could score a maximum of 100 points. However, the majority of the examined feeds ended up below 60 points due to missing or incomplete essential product information. This limited the visibility of these products in search results through AI models, which is crucial as AI assistants are increasingly used for online shopping.

Customers are increasingly searching with natural sentences, with AI assistants recommending only a handful of products. To be selected, the product feed not only needs to contain comprehensive information, such as size and material, but also specific features that align with customer queries. The competition is significant, especially with major players like bol.com and Amazon, who already have rich datasets and use AI tools to provide better experiences to their customers.

It is also noteworthy that AI shopping is in an accelerated growth phase, with over a billion users per month within the first year of AI Mode. Dutch online retailers are now urged to enhance their product feeds, especially with the upcoming holiday season in mind. The conclusion is clear: those who want to sell via Google must take action now to achieve a better fit, even though the methods behind Channable's scores are not fully transparent.

Read the full article from AI Insider.