Retailer AI Assistant vs ChatGPT Shopping Preference Study

Thanks for joining! We're trying to understand how you use AI tools while shopping — including our own AI assistant and general tools like ChatGPT. Your responses are completely confidential and anonymized. Honest answers help us most. About 5-6 minutes.

In the last 30 days, which AI tools have you used while researching or buying a product? Select all that apply.

• (Retailer name)'s AI shopping assistant
• ChatGPT
• Google Gemini or Search AI Overviews
• A different retailer's AI assistant
• None of these

When you last used an AI tool for a shopping decision, which one did you turn to first?

• (Retailer name)'s AI shopping assistant
• ChatGPT
• Google Gemini or Search AI Overviews
• A different retailer's AI assistant
• I didn't use an AI tool

Compared to general AI tools like ChatGPT, how much do you trust (Retailer name)'s AI assistant to give unbiased product recommendations?

Rate (Retailer name)'s AI assistant on each of the following compared to a general tool like ChatGPT.

Rank these reasons by how much they influence whether you'd use a retailer's own AI assistant instead of a general AI tool.

1. Confidence the answer is accurate for that store's products
2. Speed of getting an answer
3. Ability to complete the purchase directly
4. Trust that the AI isn't just upselling me
5. Familiarity with the tool

Which of these would most, and least, make you choose a retailer's AI assistant over a general AI tool like ChatGPT?

• It knows real-time stock and pricing
• It can complete the checkout for me
• It gives personalized recommendations based on my order history
• It answers return and policy questions accurately
• It's faster to get to an answer
• It feels less like it's trying to sell me something
• It remembers my past purchases and preferences

How likely are you to use (Retailer name)'s AI assistant for your next purchase decision?

If you have used ChatGPT (or a similar tool) for shopping instead of a retailer's own AI assistant, what was the main reason?

• It compares options across multiple retailers
• I trust it to be more objective
• It's the tool I already have open
• The retailer's assistant felt limited or pushy
• I didn't know the retailer had one
• Not applicable — I haven't used ChatGPT for shopping

Reconstruct the most recent specific instance where the respondent chose either the retailer's AI assistant or a general tool like ChatGPT for a shopping decision: what they were trying to buy, why they picked that tool over the other, and whether the answer they got changed their purchase. If they rated trust or likelihood-to-use low, probe exactly what would need to change about the retailer's assistant to make them prefer it, anchoring on their own words rather than generic complaints.

Just a few quick background questions, then you're done.

How often do you shop with (Retailer name)?

• This is my first time
• A few times a year
• Monthly
• Weekly or more
• Prefer not to say

Which age range do you fall into?

• 18-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-54
• 55-64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

That's everything — thank you! Your responses feed directly into a report on how our AI assistant compares to tools like ChatGPT, and what would earn more of your trust.