Which online electronics retailers do ChatGPT and other AI assistants name in the US?

What ChatGPT and other assistants named for US electronics retailers

Our data On October 14 we asked ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot six questions a US shopper might ask when buying electronics online. 23 of 24 answers came back; Copilot gave no answer to the question about electronics that ship today. Together the answers named 48 different retailers, manufacturers, sites and products. 27 of those were named only once, and 10 were named by all four assistants.

The answers were highly concentrated. Best Buy and Amazon were each named in 22 of 23 answers, B&H Photo Video in 21, Newegg in 20 and Micro Center in 16. Walmart followed with 12, Crutchfield with 11 and Costco with 10. ChatGPT named Best Buy, Amazon, B&H Photo Video and Newegg in all 6 of its answers. This is one run per question, so read the counts as a snapshot, not a ranking.

The same small group of retailers appeared repeatedly. Most names that appeared only once were not stores.

Brands, products and deal sites

Gemini named 67 names across its 6 answers and Copilot 61 across its 5, against 42 for ChatGPT and 40 for Google AI Mode. Much of that difference was manufacturers and products. For the question about computer parts for custom builds, Gemini listed 19 names, including individual processors, motherboards and power supplies. Manufacturers such as Dell, Lenovo, HP, Samsung, Apple and Sony appeared in several answers. For value, Copilot named the deal sites Slickdeals and TechBargains and the used-device marketplace Swappa, and Gemini named Back Market and eBay in its first answer.

Specific questions

For reliable customer service and a good reputation, Google AI Mode, Gemini and Copilot named Crutchfield first. For computer parts, all four assistants named PCPartPicker, a parts comparison site, next to Newegg and Micro Center. Adorama, a camera and electronics retailer, appeared in 7 answers, 4 of them from Copilot. For orders that ship today, Gemini named Shipt, Instacart and Office Depot, and ChatGPT named Abt.

The alternatives question named Best Buy

Asked for online retailers to try instead of Best Buy, all four assistants named Best Buy itself first, then the same group of large retailers. Copilot's answer also listed Consumer Reports, a publication, among the names.

No Google Maps answers

Because these were questions about shopping online across the US, Google AI Mode answered with text and links, not with Google Maps places. There are no star ratings or review counts on this page for that reason.

Where the names come from: websites cited for US electronics retailers

Our data ChatGPT attached source links to all 6 of its answers, Google AI Mode to 5, Copilot to all 5 of its answers and Gemini to 2. The most-cited websites were slashgear.com, rakuten.com and bestbuy.com (5 of 23 answers each), followed by pcmag.com (4), then tech.yahoo.com, pcgamecheck.com, online-tech-tips.com and itechguides.com (3 each). similarweb.com, theacsi.com (the American Customer Satisfaction Index), bhphotovideo.com and consumeraffairs.com were cited twice each.

So the sources were mostly tech publications, shopping guides and rating sites, with a few retailers' own pages. For the reputation question, ChatGPT cited the BBB, Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs and the ACSI, and Copilot cited ScamAdviser. For custom PC parts, Google AI Mode cited newegg.com, microcenter.com and pcpartpicker.com.

Where US online electronics retailers are usually listed and compared (advice): Google Merchant Center for product listings in Google Shopping, price comparison sites for your categories (such as PCPartPicker for PC parts), deal sites where shoppers post offers, review platforms such as Trustpilot, the BBB and ConsumerAffairs, marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Walmart if you sell there, and manufacturers' lists of authorized resellers. Tech publications and guides choose their own picks, so you can't list yourself there, but you can check that what they say about you is correct.

How customers ask about US electronics retailers

Our six questions covered general recommendations, computer parts for custom builds, value for money, customer service and reputation, shipping today, and alternatives to Best Buy. Shoppers often ask about a product category, a brand, a delivery deadline or a warranty. Questions worth testing, written the way people type them:

• "Where to buy a mirrorless camera online in the US from an authorized dealer"
• "Online store for home theater receivers with expert advice"
• "Buy a refurbished laptop online with a one-year warranty"
• "Online electronics store with free two-day shipping to Ohio"
• "Where to buy hard-to-find audio cables and adapters online"

Use the categories, brands and services you actually focus on. General questions in this run returned the large retailers almost every time.

The same six-question test was run for neighboring businesses too, for example furniture stores in Seattle and online wine shops.

What an online electronics retailer can check about how AI assistants name it

Advice: these checks are practical and most can be done in a day or two. None of them can promise a mention; they make the facts about your shop easy to find and hard to get wrong.

1. Name your specialty clearly. Cameras, audio, PC parts, refurbished devices, business equipment: say what you focus on in plain words on your homepage and category pages. Specialists appeared in this run where the question matched their field.
2. Publish shipping cut-off times and stock status. Order-by times for same-day shipping, carriers, delivery estimates by region, and live in-stock information on product pages. One question asked for electronics that ship today.
3. Write product pages with full specs as text. Model numbers, specs, compatibility (for example sockets or mounts) and what is in the box, not only in images. Shoppers ask about specific parts and products.
4. State warranty, returns and authorized-dealer status. Return window, restocking fees, manufacturer warranty and whether you are an authorized reseller, each easy to find. The reputation question was answered with stores known for service.
5. Keep review profiles current. Check your company details and reply to reviews on Trustpilot, the BBB and ConsumerAffairs. These were cited for reputation.
6. Check comparison, deal and shopping listings. Make sure your products, prices and availability are correct in Google Merchant Center and on comparison and deal sites that list your categories.
7. Check the guides that were cited. Open the buying guides on slashgear.com, pcmag.com and rakuten.com. Are you mentioned, and is the description of what you sell correct?

How to check if ChatGPT names your own shop

Write five or six questions your customers would ask, including the categories you specialize in, and ask several assistants. Note who is named, which brands and comparison sites appear and which websites are cited, then repeat in a few weeks, because the answers change. CheckAI checks your own customer questions across the same four assistants and shows the names and cited websites for every answer; a first check on ChatGPT and Google AI Mode is free.