Independent retailers may be losing the one advantage the internet gave them. A new study from Vaer AI, done in partnership with Lightspeed Commerce, looked at how AI shopping tools treat different kinds of businesses. The early signs are not good for small players.
The research analyzed 460,000 AI-generated shopping responses across ChatGPT and Google's AI products. The goal was simple: find out who gets to compete when shoppers turn to AI instead of a regular search engine.
What the Lightspeed Commerce AI Shopping Study Found
For decades, the internet promised to level the playing field for retailers. Independent businesses that once depended on customers walking through their doors could suddenly reach shoppers anywhere. They could compete with national chains in ways that would have been unimaginable before.
Now, the growing popularity of AI search with consumers threatens to reverse that progress. According to the research from Vaer AI and Lightspeed Commerce, the playing field in AI search is far from even for retailers. The study's early findings point to a gap between who shows up in AI shopping answers and who does not.
The question at the center of the study is direct: who gets to compete? If AI tools consistently favor certain retailers over others, independent businesses could find themselves shut out of a growing channel for shoppers.
Why AI Search Matters for Independent Retailers
AI search works differently from traditional search. Instead of giving users a list of links, AI tools generate direct answers and recommendations. That means the businesses that appear in those answers get the attention — and the others may not be seen at all.
The study analyzed responses across ChatGPT and Google's AI products, two of the most widely used AI tools for shopping-related queries. With 460,000 responses reviewed, the research offers one of the larger looks at how AI handles retail recommendations.
The concern for independent retailers is straightforward. If AI shopping responses lean toward big chains or a limited set of sellers, the level playing field the internet once offered could disappear. Small businesses that built their reach online may find that reach shrinking as more shoppers rely on AI to decide what to buy.
Our Take: AI Search Could Undo the Internet's Promise to Small Retailers
In our view, this study asks the right question at the right time. The internet gave independent retailers a fighting chance to compete with national chains. AI search could take that chance away if it quietly decides who gets recommended and who gets ignored.
To put it plainly, shoppers deserve to know how AI tools pick the products and stores they suggest. And independent retailers deserve a fair shot at being in those answers. The Lightspeed Commerce and Vaer AI study is an early warning. The findings suggest the AI shopping era is not automatically fair — and without attention from platforms and regulators, it may not be fair at all.
What this means for readers is simple. If you run a small business, your visibility online may soon depend on how AI systems treat you, not just on your website or your reviews. If you are a shopper, the recommendations you get from AI may be narrower than you think. Either way, the question of who gets to compete in AI search is one worth watching closely.
