‘Tried this at Ulta’: AI is influencing how you shop. Here’s what it means for you

Whether you frequent your local mall or primarily buy online, quickly advancing AI is changing how you shop.

The technology that has swept the world via customer service chatbots and generative AI products like ChatGPT is now influencing how and where you spend. One Google search will lead to various AI-suggested products, which the search engine began using in 2023.

But that's only the beginning of personalized AI shopping experiences.

At a Saturday presentation during South By Southwest 2025 in Austin, Texas, Google's Vice President of Consumer Shopping Lilian Rincon explained the tech giant's next steps in consumer shopping.

How does Google Shopping tailor its search results to shoppers?

Rincon explained that Google utilizes Shopping Graph as its primary data source. The constantly updated database includes 45 billion product listings that feature photos, descriptions, colors, sizes, prices, and consumer reviews.

It's no wonder Rincon called it the "mall of the world."

But she also noted that most of the time you buy online, you've already found the product via Google.

"Two out of three times a consumer is finding a new product, a new brand, or merchant, it actually happens on Google or YouTube," Rincon said.

Is AI going to start doing the shopping for you?

Agentic AI is the next frontier in utilizing the technology—especially in the consumer space. This means that AI will begin acting on your behalf.

In some ways, however, agentic AI is already in practice.

Rincon cited a report that found 63% of US consumers agree that making the right decision takes more effort than it used to. Even more, 64% say they research a purchase over several days or weeks before purchasing. 

Now, AI is handling the product research for you—meaning you can buy more quickly.

Google's AI tools allow customers to search for a product and will serve them product recommendations tailored to their needs. Rincon gives the example of searching "best tea kettle for matcha tea."

"We have now the AI, it does the research. It takes a little bit more time than it used to, but it comes back with like considerations for this particular purchase," she said.

This cuts down on consumers' product consideration time. "Something that would normally take me a few days, maybe a few hours," she explained. "Now it tells me, 'OK, for matcha tea, you should be thinking about an electric kettle, because you need really precise temperature control. You need to be able to pour it. So you might think about a goose type of spout, etc.' And then we recommend products."

How can AI ensure you're getting the best price while shopping in-store?

Google's reverse image search tool also goes beyond finding the name of the D-tier actor you spotted at a restaurant. Rincon noted that the tool can be used on products in-store to make sure you're getting the best price.

"This is something actually that we did this morning at Ulta," she said, showing footage of Google Lens in the store. "We did this at Ulta, trying to find some lip gloss."

Rincon said this tool can detect the store you're in and compare its price to other online retailers.

'You can just take an image with Lens, it'll come back with... Here's the product, by the way, here's the price of the product in the store that you're in, how it compares online, to give you confidence about the price, but also other information that you might care about," she explained. "What are other people saying about it, or maybe you want to buy something else."

Dreaming up your ideal products on Google?

Ever had an idea for a dream product, be it a dining room table or a prom dress, that you aren't sure exists? Well, Google is making it a reality.

Sort of.

The tech giant launched its generative AI shopping feature to all U.S. users last week. This tool allows users to input their desired product, which the AI then generates an image of. Google then uses its Shopping Graph database to find similar products.

Is online shopping using AI going to replace stores?

Rincon's presentation was followed by a panel with Dawn Mai, the chief operating officer of L.A.-based luxury clothing brand Simkhai, and Sapna Parikh, the chief digital officer of Kendo Brands, the owner of massive beauty brands Fenty, KVD Vegan Beauty, and Ole Henriksen.

Both guests lauded the growing technology and its use among consumers. Mai noted Simkhai's collaboration with Google on a virtual try-on tool, which uses generative AI to allow shoppers to envision the fit of their potential purchases.

Parikh also noted Fenty's foundation shade-matching tools to help online shoppers select shades without having to come into its partner stores Sephora or Ulta. However, she doesn't discount the importance of human connection in consumer experiences.

"In the world of beauty, the store is so critical. Our digital shade finders are great, but at the end of the day, there's nothing better than a human talking to another human and recommending products and sharing and showing application and techniques and what can be used," she said. "So for us, we look at it as brand ambassadors and building loyalty and getting data. We love getting data, too."

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