At eTail Boston 2025, a theme shines through the panels and fireside chats: the way people search, discover and shop is undergoing its most profound change in two decades.
For years, search engines have been the primary gateway to information and commerce. But speakers at the event agreed that dominance is quickly eroding. AI assistants and large language models are now at the heart of information discovery, with some predicting that traditional search volume could drop by 25% as early as 2026. Consumers no longer rely solely on keywords and links; they expect direct answers, personalized advice and, increasingly, the ability to transact without leaving the AI interface.
From referencing to the OAS
This shift is forcing marketers to rethink optimization. The familiar practice of SEO is being reinvented as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), or what some call AI-driven optimization (AIO). Rather than ranking by keywords, the goal is to create content that AI systems can extract and serve as reliable answers. A few speakers even used tongue-in-cheek terms like “generative edge optimization” or “language model response optimization (LMAO),” highlighting how quickly the discipline is branching out into new approaches.
The stakes are high: AI engines like ChatGPT are starting to integrate payment functionality. Other emerging platforms, like Perplexity, already offer “buy with a pro” features. Retailers who feed product data into these ecosystems will now be better positioned when discovery and transactions seamlessly merge in AI environments.
Social as research
AI is not the only disruptor. Consumer behavior itself tips the scales. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become de facto search engines, with young people often turning there first to find products and reviews. Google’s decision to index Instagram Reels and Carousels further blurs the lines between traditional search and social search. For retailers, this means that captions, voiceover scripts, and even alt text carry SEO weight. Social storytelling is about engagement and discoverability.
Building for AI discovery
Speakers highlighted practical adjustments that retailers must make. Sites should be structured so that AI crawlers can crawl content cleanly, starting with something as basic as examining robots.txt files to ensure the engines aren’t blocked. Brands with deep catalogs – like Nuts.com, which has thrived in the age of Google search – are exploring partnerships with platforms like Shopify, which is investing heavily in AI capabilities to future-proof retail infrastructure.
Agents, attributes and personalization
If there was a buzzword at eTail Boston, it was “agents.” Participants described a near future in which consumers deploy personal shopping agents who screen products on their behalf. These agents will use context, memory and inferred preferences to refine results.
For distributors, it is clear that product data must be enriched. AI can now extract attributes like color, style, and trend signals that humans struggle to identify at scale, leading to more accurate recommendations. Done well, it creates an experience where discovery feels less like research and more like conversation.
Operationalizing AI in research
The operational layer is also evolving rapidly. AI is now integrated into content workflows: it automates product descriptions, powers visual answers to questions, and even provides creative analytics. Tools like Dash on Social and Sprout Social allow brands to monitor category conversations in which they are not tagged, while platforms like Motion evaluate the effectiveness of ad creative. Data from these sources feeds the discovery loop, informing both organic visibility and paid strategies.
Authenticity as a safeguard
Despite all this excitement, caution was required. Retailers risk eroding consumer trust if they rely on clever AI results without human oversight. Authenticity and storytelling remain the anchors, even as AI drives efficiency. Several speakers presented the role of AI not as a replacement, but as an augmentation: enabling teams to focus on strategy, creativity and connection.
The challenges ahead
The speed of change is itself a recurring concern. Waiting on the sidelines is not an option, but rushing forward without clarity is not an option either. Data hygiene issues – ensuring product catalogs are clean and well-labeled – are paramount. Echo chambers, where algorithms only show what consumers already prefer, could restrict discovery rather than broaden it. And above all this there are ethical and legal questions: What happens when AI imitates a celebrity’s voice or generates content without consent?
A new era of discovery
Overall, discovery is moving from keyword-based search to conversational, contextual, and AI-mediated experiences. Social platforms, AI assistants and sales agents are converging towards a new ecosystem where the rules of visibility are still being written. For retailers, the mandate is to adapt quickly and keep authenticity at the center of the strategy.
Coverage of events sponsored by Fospha
