Perplexity just launched its AI shopping assistant to US users, throwing another punch in the escalating battle between AI companies for retail dominance. The free feature launches with direct PayPal integration and contextual memory that remembers your past shopping conversations - capabilities that set it apart from similar recent launches by OpenAI and Google.
Perplexity just fired the latest shot in AI's retail wars. The search startup launched its shopping assistant today, complete with contextual memory and one-click PayPal checkout that puts it in direct competition with recent shopping features from OpenAI and Google. The timing couldn't be more strategic - right as Black Friday shopping hits peak frenzy. What makes Perplexity's approach different isn't just the shopping capability itself, but how it's positioning against what The Verge's Nilay Patel calls "the DoorDash problem" - when AI agents cut merchants out of customer relationships entirely. The company's "Instant Buy" partnership with PayPal lets merchants "stay in the retail loop and build relationships with customers, just as they would on their own sites," according to Perplexity's announcement. It's a clever positioning that could ease merchant concerns about AI middlemen. Users can now ask Perplexity for product recommendations using natural language - say, a jacket for ferry commutes to San Francisco - and the AI remembers that context for future searches. Ask for boots later, and it'll factor in your Bay Area lifestyle. Products appear as cards showing specs, reviews, and direct purchase options through supported merchants. The feature works exactly like ChatGPT's shopping research launched earlier this month, with users typing queries and refining results through follow-up questions. But Perplexity's betting that its contextual memory and merchant-friendly approach will differentiate it in the crowded space. Google has been pushing its own Gemini-powered shopping tools, making this a three-way AI shopping showdown just as holiday spending peaks. The feature launched on desktop and web today, with iOS and Android versions promised "in the coming weeks." Perplexity didn't hold back in its announcement, taking shots at traditional search that "fails at exploration" and editorial sites that "prioritize affiliate revenue over matching readers to the exact products they'll love." The company argues that current online shopping focuses on "speedy checkouts, not the joy" of discovery. Instead, Perplexity positions its AI as understanding "intent, remember preferences, and act as extensions of how users would approach a task on their own." That's fighting words in a space where has dominated through convenience and speed for decades. But Perplexity's approach reflects a broader shift in how AI companies are thinking about commerce - not just as transaction facilitators, but as personalized shopping companions that build relationships over time. The contextual memory feature could be the key differentiator. While ChatGPT and Gemini excel at individual queries, Perplexity's system promises to build a continuous understanding of your preferences across shopping sessions. That kind of persistent personalization mirrors how human sales associates develop relationships with regular customers. The launch comes as Perplexity faces ongoing legal challenges over content usage, but the company's pushing ahead with product expansion. The shopping assistant represents its boldest move yet into commercial territory, where user behavior directly translates to revenue potential through merchant partnerships.
