Perplexity AI Expands E-Commerce Capabilities with Retailer-Friendly Shopping Tools

The AI-powered search engine partners with Firmly.ai to streamline retailer integration while challenging Google's AdWords model.

Perplexity AI's shopping features, launched in November 2024, have driven a fivefold increase in shopping-related queries.
The platform allows users to discover and purchase products directly within its AI-powered search engine without redirecting to external sites.
A partnership with Seattle-based Firmly.ai simplifies retailer integration, enabling merchants to retain control over customer data and transactions.
Over 150 merchants have expressed interest in selling through Perplexity's platform, which does not take a cut of sales.
CEO Aravind Srinivas positions the company's native transaction model as a direct competitor to Google's AdWords, focusing on transparency and user trust.