What ChatGPT Shopping Research Means for Small Businesses (And What's Coming Next)
A client found their specialty roastery through ChatGPT. Not Google. Not Instagram. ChatGPT. Something big is shifting.
Chief of Staff, Noodle Seed
Before joining Noodle Seed as Chief of Staff, I spent over a decade running small businesses. I'm not a tech person - I came up through operations, customer service, and the daily grind of keeping a business alive.
Three weeks ago, one of our early customers shared something that stopped me cold: a client found their specialty roastery through ChatGPT. Not Google. Not Instagram. ChatGPT.
That conversation made me realize something big is shifting, and most small business owners have no idea it's happening.
TL;DR
- •ChatGPT's Shopping Research feature turned 800 million users into potential customers who shop through AI conversations
- •Right now, ChatGPT finds products by scanning the web - your business shows up based on reviews, not ads
- •Soon, OpenAI's Apps SDK (announced October 6) will let businesses build their own apps inside ChatGPT - like Spotify, Zillow, and Booking.com already have
- •The difference: moving from being discovered to actually selling directly inside ChatGPT
- •Small businesses can get in early before this space gets crowded - but it requires understanding what's changing
How Shopping Works in ChatGPT Today
Here's what's happening right now: when someone asks ChatGPT "find me the best medium-roast coffee from small roasters," the system doesn't just pull up ads or sponsored content. It searches across the internet looking for authentic information.
Important distinction: ChatGPT's Shopping Research currently helps people discover and research products - but customers still need to click out to company websites to make purchases. OpenAI has announced "Instant Checkout" is coming soon, which will enable direct purchases within ChatGPT conversations. But that capability hasn't launched yet.
Where ChatGPT looks:
- •Reddit discussions where real customers share opinions
- •Independent review platforms like Trustpilot
- •Industry forums and specialty sites
- •Product pages with detailed specifications
What it prioritizes:
- •Real customer experiences over marketing copy
- •Specific details ("best for French press") over vague claims ("highest quality")
- •Fresh, accurate information about pricing and availability
- •Third-party validation rather than what you say about yourself
What gets downplayed:
- •Traditional advertising and sponsored content
- •Reviews on your own website
- •Generic marketing language
- •Outdated information
This applies to both product and service businesses. Whether someone's searching for "best accounting firm in Denver" or "organic dog food delivery," ChatGPT follows the same pattern - prioritizing authentic information over promotional content.
What Actually Shows Up When People Search
When someone searches for products or services in ChatGPT's Shopping Research, they don't get a list of links. They get a structured guide that:
- Asks clarifying questions about their needs and budget
- Shows 3-5 top recommendations with details
- Explains the key differences between options
- Includes current pricing information
- Remembers their preferences for future searches
The current limitation: While ChatGPT helps with discovery and research, customers still have to click out to business websites to complete purchases or book services. That's where a lot of people drop off.
The big retailers already solved part of this through direct integrations with OpenAI - Walmart and Target customers can browse extensive product information within ChatGPT. But actual transactions still require visiting their sites.
OpenAI has announced "Instant Checkout" is coming soon, which will enable direct purchases within ChatGPT. For service businesses, this means capabilities like instant appointment booking without leaving the conversation. But that's not live yet.
What Changes With the Apps SDK (GPTApps)
On October 6, OpenAI announced the Apps SDK - their system for letting third-party developers build apps that work inside ChatGPT. They launched with partners like Spotify (create playlists), Zillow (browse homes), Booking.com (book hotels), and others.
This changes everything for both product and service businesses.
What's possible right now with GPTApps:
- •Show your full product catalog or service offerings with details and photos
- •Answer customer questions in real-time through your app
- •Provide interactive experiences within the ChatGPT conversation
- •Collect leads and customer information
- •For service businesses: Enable appointment booking directly in ChatGPT
- •Share detailed information about your expertise, approach, and pricing
What's coming soon (announced but not launched):
- •"Instant Checkout" - complete purchases without leaving ChatGPT
- •Direct payment processing within conversations
- •Real-time order confirmations and fulfillment
- •Seamless transaction completion for both products and services
The gap between now and Instant Checkout is significant, but so is the opportunity. Businesses building GPTApps today are establishing presence and relationships before the full commerce capabilities launch.
The technical reality:
Here's what's required to have a proper GPTApp according to OpenAI's specifications:
- •Integration with OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol
- •Secure authentication systems
- •Real-time inventory and pricing data
- •Compatible payment processing (typically Stripe)
- •Order management and fulfillment systems
For a small business without a development team, building this yourself would take months and cost tens of thousands of dollars. That's not realistic for most of us.
The Window That's Open Right Now
Think about this: ChatGPT has 800 million weekly users. Right now, only a handful of businesses have working GPTApps.
When someone asks about coffee, home services, legal help, or whatever you sell, being one of three integrated options is very different from being one of three hundred.
That window won't stay open. OpenAI made their SDK open specifically to encourage more businesses to build apps. Every week, more companies will figure this out. The early ones will have established relationships with customers before the space gets crowded.
What This Means for Small Businesses
From my years running small businesses, I know the reality: you don't have months to spend or tens of thousands of dollars to invest in custom development. You need solutions that work now and don't require becoming a technology company.
That's exactly why we built Noodle Seed the way we did.
The technical requirements OpenAI mandates:
- •Integration with the Apps SDK and their protocols
- •Secure authentication systems
- •Real-time data connections for inventory or availability
- •Compatible infrastructure for future payment processing
- •API connections and webhook management
For a typical small business, building this yourself would take 4-6 months and cost $50,000-$100,000+ with a development team. That's not realistic.
What you can do right now:
Build your GPTApp through Noodle Seed. We handle all the technical complexity so you can focus on your business.
- •For product businesses: Showcase your catalog with photos, descriptions, and pricing. Answer customer questions. Capture leads. Position yourself for Instant Checkout when it launches.
- •For service businesses: Enable appointment booking directly in ChatGPT. Share your expertise and approach. Let customers schedule consultations, book services, or request quotes without leaving the conversation.
The platform we built lets you go from zero to a working GPTApp in hours, not months. No coding required. No technical team needed. Just your business information and a couple of hours to set everything up.
The Practical Decision Businesses Are Making
Working with our early customers at Noodle Seed, I'm seeing smart business owners take this seriously - not because they're tech enthusiasts, but because they recognize a fundamental shift.
What product companies are doing right now:
- •Creating GPTApps that showcase their full catalog with photos and detailed descriptions
- •Enabling customers to browse, compare, and ask questions about products
- •Capturing leads and customer information for follow-up
- •Positioning themselves to enable transactions the moment Instant Checkout launches
- •Using specific, detailed product information that helps AI match their products to customer needs
What service businesses are doing:
- •Building GPTApps that enable direct appointment booking in ChatGPT
- •Automating consultation scheduling and service requests
- •Sharing detailed information about their expertise and approach
- •Collecting client information and project details before the first meeting
- •Reducing the friction between "I need help" and "I'm booked"
The bet these businesses are making: AI discovery and booking isn't going away. The businesses that establish presence now, before competitors figure this out, will have an advantage that compounds over time.
What You Should Consider
If you're running a small business, here are the questions I'd be asking:
About your current situation:
- •When someone asks ChatGPT about what you sell or the services you provide, what shows up?
- •How many potential customers are you losing when they have to click out of ChatGPT to reach you?
- •If you're a service business, how much time do you spend on back-and-forth scheduling that could be automated?
- •Do you have the technical resources to build a GPTApp yourself, or do you need a platform?
About timing and competition:
- •How long until your competitors figure this out?
- •What advantage would you have by moving three months earlier?
- •What would it mean for your business to be one of the first in your category on ChatGPT?
- •Can you afford to wait while competitors build direct relationships with customers who are already using AI?
About capabilities you need now:
- •Do you need appointment booking automation within ChatGPT conversations?
- •Would showcasing your full catalog or service offerings in AI help conversion?
- •Are you ready to capture leads from 800 million ChatGPT users?
- •Do you want to be positioned for Instant Checkout the day it launches?
The technical barrier that used to make this impossible for small businesses is gone. You can build a GPTApp now, without developers, without months of work, and without huge budgets.
The Change Is Already Here
That customer who found our client's coffee roastery through ChatGPT? She's not an early adopter or tech enthusiast. She's a regular person who asked ChatGPT for coffee recommendations while making breakfast.
The plumber who got booked through a GPTApp? The client was standing in front of a leaking pipe, asked ChatGPT for help, and scheduled service in under two minutes.
The infrastructure for AI commerce and services exists right now. Early businesses are building now. The question is whether small businesses will be there when customers ask.
Before joining Noodle Seed, I would have looked at all this and thought: "This is too complicated. This is for big companies with tech teams. This isn't for businesses like mine."
That's exactly why we built what we built. Because small businesses deserve the same advantages as enterprise companies. Because the technical barriers shouldn't decide who wins. Because being where your customers are looking shouldn't require becoming a software company.
I don't claim to have all the answers. But I know this: showing up matters. And right now, there's still room to show up early.
Ready to get your business onto ChatGPT? Noodle Seed helps small businesses create GPTApps without the technical complexity - whether you sell products, provide services, or both. We handle the integration so you can focus on your customers.
Chief of Staff, Noodle Seed
Ready to get your business onto ChatGPT?
Noodle Seed helps small businesses create GPTApps without the technical complexity. We handle the integration so you can focus on your customers.