How ChatGPT is changing wine e-commerce

As of May 2025, ChatGPT has surpassed 800 million users every week turning to it for answers, created content and personalized recommendations. This explosive adoption signals a massive shift in consumer behavior.

ChatGPT and other generative AI tools have fundamentally altered the consumer mindset. Shoppers no longer want to scroll through dozens of search results or navigate complex menus. They expect instant gratification with ready-to-use answers, curated suggestions, and seamless online experiences.

And e-commerce is about to go through a reinvention like never before. Shopify and OpenAi, the owner of ChatGPT, will enable in-chat shopping and checkout.

For wineries and wine retailers, the question becomes: How do you respond to a new world of consumer options and expectations?

The answer starts with your website. It can no longer act as a static product catalog. Instead, it must become a dynamic, intelligent platform that educates, guides, and delights consumers so they want to visit and stay and buy on your website, that they see more value doing so than just using in-chat shopping and checkout. The good news: you can and you must.

Here are five ways to rethink and redesign your digital experience:

1. Make your website conversational

Consumers are increasingly conditioned to engage with AI through natural-language queries:

“What’s a good red under $30 for grilling?” or “Which wines are best for gifting?”

Your website should offer this kind of interaction. Embedding ChatGPT-like tools allows consumers to ask questions and receive instant, personalized responses, reducing friction and building confidence in their buying decisions.

2. Create remarkable digital hospitality

Your website should feel like an extension of your tasting room or shop (if you have one): welcoming, intuitive, and deeply knowledgeable. AI can help replicate that experience digitally, guiding customers through curated journeys, offering pairing suggestions, surfacing seasonal favorites, and personalizing product displays based on their preferences or past purchases.

This is where wineries and wine retailers can truly differentiate, by making online visitors feel as cared for as in-person guests.

3. Leverage Social Buying and shared experiences

Wine is inherently social, and your digital experience should reflect that. New platforms like Cobuyr are pioneering Social Buying, where groups of people can discover and purchase wine together, unlocking better deals or simply sharing the fun of discovery and buying with each other.

By integrating features like group shopping carts, split paying of gifting, or referral-based discounts, your website becomes a place of connection, not just commerce.

4. Turn First-Party data into a strategic asset

As third-party data continues to decline due to privacy restrictions, your website becomes your most valuable data source. Every interaction such as clicks, searches, purchase history, and preferences represents rich first-party data you can use to personalize communications, refine wine offerings, and improve customer retention.

AI tools make it possible to analyze and act on this data in real time, turning your site into a living, learning engine for smarter marketing and better service.

5. Design for decisions, not just discovery

Product listings and blog content are no longer enough. Every piece of your site should actively guide customers toward confident decisions. Smart recommendation engines, interactive buying guides, AI-driven FAQs, and clear visual cues help streamline the purchase journey.

Think of your site not as a warehouse of information, but as a helpful guide, presenting the right wine to the right person at the right moment.

Final thought

AI isn’t just a trend, it’s a transformation. And for wineries and wine retailers, it offers a powerful opportunity: to combine the warmth of real-world hospitality with the intelligence and immediacy of modern digital tools.

By reimagining your website as a smart, social, data-powered experience, you’re not just keeping up with consumer expectations, you’re setting the standard for what a modern wine brand and experience can be.