Holiday shopping is about to get a lot easier. OpenAI has introduced a new Shopping Research tool inside ChatGPT – a feature designed to help users find the right products without jumping through dozens of websites. Instead of scanning reviews, comparing specs, or hunting for trusted recommendations, you can simply tell ChatGPT what you need, and it builds a personalised buyer’s guide for you. Also Read: ChatGPT Finally Gets Group Chat For Free Users Too: Will You Get It?
The feature is rolling out globally on web and mobile for all logged-in ChatGPT users, including Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans. And since the holiday rush is here, OpenAI is offering nearly unlimited usage until January. 
How the new Shopping Research feature works
Shopping questions are already common on ChatGPT, but this update takes a step further. Instead of a single text response, the new tool starts a conversation-like flow:
- You describe what you need, such as a quiet vacuum, a gaming monitor, a gift for a niece, etc.
- ChatGPT asks smart follow-up questions about budget, size, preferences, and use cases.
- It pulls accurate, up-to-date information from trusted sources.
- It refines results based on your feedback, like “more like this” or “not interested.”
After a few minutes, ChatGPT produces a detailed buyer’s guide with pros, cons, comparisons, price insights, and direct links to retailers. For categories like electronics, beauty, home and kitchen, sports, or appliances, the tool is designed to save hours of manual research.
Built on a specialised GPT-5 mini model
OpenAI says the tool uses a version of GPT-5 mini, trained specifically for shopping tasks. It’s designed to:
- Read high-quality sites and reliable review platforms
- Avoid spammy or paid-marketing pages
- Compare products across multiple sources
- Update results in real time as users refine their choices
Importantly, OpenAI clarified that user chats are never shared with retailers, and results are not influenced by affiliate links.
How to try it
You can start using the feature in two ways:
- Ask any shopping question, and ChatGPT will suggest switching to Shopping Research.
- Or open the (+) menu and select “shopping research” manually.
- From there, you’ll see a new visual interface that lets you interact with product suggestions and guide the AI until it builds the final list.
- A helpful tool, but not perfect
OpenAI admits the model may sometimes make mistakes about pricing or availability. Users are encouraged to double-check details on retailer sites, especially during fast-changing holiday sales. Even so, with competition rising in the AI shopping space, this is a major upgrade for anyone who finds product research overwhelming.
