Shopping is getting chatty. Soon you’ll buy without typing.
Smart, AI-powered bots are turning casual convos into purchases.
From WhatsApp to Instagram DMs to ChatGPT itself, brands are plugging products straight into the chats people are already having.
No more 8-tab chaos. No more endless checkout loops. Just a back-and-forth that ends in “Thanks for your order.”
This is conversational commerce. And it’s blowing up.
Expert Insights
1. Visa & OpenAI make bots buyable
Visa now embeds payments into chatbots—so shoppers can pay with a conversational tap . Meanwhile, ChatGPT is launching direct product links in its responses—turning mere info into instant shopping tools. Soon, your chat becomes checkout.
2. Social commerce reimagined
Sandie Hawkins, former head of TikTok Shop, highlights how TikTok revolutionized the e‑commerce funnel: discovery via short-form video → community engagement → frictionless purchase—all in-app . As AI levels this playing field, brands big and small can build social-driven storefronts effortlessly.
Our Take
Conversational commerce is the new frontier. People don’t want apps—they want answers that lead to checkout without friction. Bots that chat, show, recommend, and close feel less “shopping” and more natural. This is commerce made human again.
3 Concrete Action Items
1. Pilot a chatbot shopping assistant
- Choose your top 100 SKUs
- Use low-code like ManyChat or Landbot to build a flow: “Ask me anything, I’ll find your product”
- Monitor conversion rate vs. email clicks; iterate weekly
2. Turn video content into shoppable chat features
- Pick your most engaging TikTok or Reels
- Embed those videos in your bot, tag items with links for checkout
- Watch which ones drive the most orders
3. Set chatbot A/B test for trust vs speed
- Version A: Fast path—“Buy now” after product info
- Version B: Build trust—ask two questions before purchase
- See which path converts more—then scale
Conclusion
Shopping with bots isn’t sci‑fi—it’s here. Brands tapping into smart conversational commerce now will ride the next wave of effortless retail.
Written by Karina Martirosyan
