Stores are now tuning their websites for AI shopping bots

A streetwear chain with about 60 US stores is changing how its website describes products so AI bots can read them better. All Star Elite says about 1% of its site traffic last month came from AI agents. That is small, but the company's head of growth, Abhishek Bora, says it was nowhere before.

What changed

AI agents are software helpers that can search for products and, in some cases, buy for you. All Star Elite gets about a quarter of its revenue from digital sales. Its team has been adding machine-readable information to product listings. That means extra detail written so a bot can understand it, beyond a basic description and price.

One example is whether a sneaker suits a marathon or a night out. Details like that can help a product show up more prominently when someone asks ChatGPT for a recommendation.

Bora said that shortly after Meta launched its personal AI agent, Muse, in September, a few purchases a week began coming from it. The company has also seen more sales from traffic driven by ChatGPT.

Deals are changing too

Discounts have usually been designed to catch a person's eye. Now retailers also have to think about how a bot will respond to a holiday promotion. Several experts told Business Insider this is shaping up to be a key priority shoppers have for their AI assistants.

Adobe expects AI traffic to US retail sites to double on Black Friday and Cyber Monday compared with last year. It also says AI traffic already turns into sales at higher rates than other visits.

Big stores take opposite paths

• Walmart last month rolled out tools to help outside AI agents navigate its site and complete purchases for customers.
• Amazon blocks outside agents like Muse and nudges shoppers toward its own agent, Alexa.

What shoppers still do

Even with these tools, Bora said All Star Elite customers mostly use ChatGPT to find items, then buy them on their own. In his words, they are not as open to letting an AI complete a purchase. "They want to verify it."

If you use ChatGPT to find holiday gifts, treat its answer as a starting point. Check the price and product details on the store's own site before you pay.