Perplexity forays into shopping, redefining AI-powered search

AI-driven search engine Perplexity has introduced a groundbreaking shopping feature, transforming itself into a one-stop platform where users can research and purchase products directly. This marks a significant shift in Perplexity’s mission to enhance user experience by enabling seamless native actions from search results.

The new shopping capability leverages integrations with platforms like Shopify, offering users access to real-time, accurate information on products sold by Shopify-powered businesses across the globe that ship to the US. This initiative not only enriches the search experience but also connects users with a vast network of products and retailers.

While the shopping experience currently caters to US-based users, Perplexity has confirmed plans to expand into additional markets soon. To support this growth, the company has unveiled the Perplexity Merchant Program, a free initiative aimed at simplifying the process for large retailers to share product specifications. This ensures that the platform has access to the most current product details, enhancing user choice and reliability.

The company emphasized that this program is designed to be straightforward for merchants and operates independently of Perplexity’s sponsored questions ad products.

In addition to its shopping advancements, Perplexity continues to scale its core search operations, handling over 100 million queries per week.
Perplexity’s entry into the shopping domain reflects its broader vision of integrating advanced AI capabilities into everyday decision-making, potentially reshaping the way users interact with search engines in the e-commerce space.

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