A Letter to Ecommerce CEOs Who Need to Understand What Just Happened — and What to Do About It
If you’re running an ecommerce company, you need to understand what happened on September 29th, 2025.
OpenAI didn’t just add a feature. They fundamentally restructured how hundreds of millions of people will discover and purchase products.
And if you’re a CEO focused on sustainable growth, this matters as much as any platform shift you’ve navigated before.
Here’s why. And more importantly, here’s what you need to do about it.
What Actually Happened (The Strategic View)
OpenAI launched Instant Checkout in ChatGPT (here’s their article on it). Over 700 million weekly users can now complete purchases without leaving their conversation with the AI.
The immediate facts:
- Starting with Etsy sellers, expanding to 1M+ Shopify merchants
- Brands like Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori are already in
- Multi-item carts and expanded regions coming quickly
- Built on an open-source protocol (Agentic Commerce Protocol) co-developed with Stripe
But here’s what matters to you as a CEO:
This isn’t a new marketing channel. This is a new category of commerce. And it’s arriving at massive scale, immediately.
When a customer asks their AI “what’s the best stand mixer for sourdough bread” or “eco-friendly yoga mats under $75,” the AI doesn’t send them to Google. It shows them products, explains why they’re relevant, and lets them buy, all in one seamless conversation.
The customer never leaves. They never comparison shop on ten browser tabs. They (in theory) never get distracted.
The AI makes the recommendation.
The customer trusts it.
The transaction happens.
That’s not incremental change. That’s a complete reimagining of the purchase journey.
The Pattern Every CEO Should Recognize
You’ve seen this movie before. So have we.
Over 20 years, we’ve helped ecommerce companies navigate every major platform shift. The playbook is always the same:
Phase 1: Organic Opportunity
New platform launches. Early adopters get free visibility. Rankings are merit-based. Smart brands build authority and presence.
Phase 2: Platform Monetization
User base scales. Infrastructure costs mount. Ads launch. Organic visibility compresses. Pay-to-play becomes the norm.
Phase 3: Market Stratification
Brands with existing organic authority can afford selective paid investment. Brands without it get priced out or crushed by CAC.
We saw it with Google:
- Pure organic in the early 2000s.
- Today, the first page is 50%+ paid placements.
We saw it with Amazon:
- Organic product search dominated until 2014.
- Today, top results are almost entirely sponsored.
We saw it with Meta:
- Organic reach was free until 2015.
- Then it collapsed. Now you pay to reach your own customers.
The addition of OpenAI’s Instant Checkout is further proof that ChatGPT ads are coming. They have to monetize. Their infrastructure costs are massive. They’re a business. Getting mad won’t work. Getting strategic always does.
The question isn’t if ChatGPT commerce becomes pay-to-play. The question is: what position will your brand be in when it does?
Why This Shift Is Different (And More Urgent)
Here’s what makes the AI commerce shift fundamentally different than the platform shifts you’ve navigated before:
1. The Timeline Is Compressed
Google took 10+ years to evolve from organic-first to pay-to-play. Amazon took 8 years. Meta took 5 years.
AI platforms (at least ChatGPT) is projected to do it in 18-24 months — maybe less.
Why? The technology is proven. The user base is already massive. The business model is clear. There’s no learning curve.
2. The Winner-Take-Most Dynamic Is Stronger
In traditional search, a user might click on result #3 or #7. In AI recommendations, the AI typically suggests a handful of options — and users default to the first one.
If your brand isn’t in that top tier of AI recommendations, you’re invisible. Not just deprioritized but completely absent from the consideration set.
Perpetually stuck on the second page of Google is not ideal. Not mentioned by ChatGPT? Even less so.
3. Customer Behavior Shifts Faster Than Ever
Younger demographics trust AI recommendations more than traditional search results. And while the plural of anecdote isn’t data, I’ve personally encountered a number of people completely unaware you could even influence the results of AI platforms.
What’s this tell you? People have a seemingly default trust of AI platforms. Often more than Google. Sometimes more than their doctor. They expect conversational interfaces. They value convenience over comparison shopping.
The customers you’re acquiring in 2027 will have different discovery behaviors than the customers you acquired in 2023.
4. This Isn’t One Platform — It’s All of Them
ChatGPT is just the first to launch commerce. Claude, Perplexity, Google’s Gemini, Meta’s Llama — it’s likely every major AI platform is moving this direction.
You’re not optimizing for one channel. You’re optimizing for an entirely new layer of the internet.
The Strategic Reality: Two Types of Ecommerce Companies Will Emerge
We’re working with ecommerce CEOs right now who are asking the right question: “How do we position our company to thrive regardless of how this evolves?”
Based on 20 years of navigating platform shifts with ecommerce clients, here’s what we’re seeing:
Type 1: Brands That Build Authority Now (While It’s Free)
These companies are:
- Creating comprehensive, natural-language product content that AI can understand and trust (we do this with our 5K SEO package)
- Building category-level authority through educational content and thought leadership
- Implementing technical foundations (schema, structured data, site performance) that AI platforms prioritize
- Developing strong brand signals (reviews, mentions, social proof) that reinforce credibility (as an example, read our Reddit strategy blog)
- Capturing customer data and insights to inform future paid strategies
Their position when ads launch: Strong organic presence reduces paid dependency (just like it does in the traditional SERPs). When they do invest in paid, they’re amplifying existing momentum and not starting from zero. Their CAC stays manageable because they own multiple channels.
Type 2: Brands That Wait and React
These companies are:
- Focusing exclusively on existing channels (Google, Meta, Amazon)
- Treating AI as “something to watch”
- Waiting for “more data” before taking action
- Assuming their current SEO strategy covers AI visibility
- Planning to “just buy ads” when AI commerce scales
Their position when ads launch: No organic presence. No brand authority in AI platforms. Forced to pay premium CPCs to compete with established brands. Customers don’t know them, don’t trust them. CAC spirals. Margins compress. Growth stalls.
The gap between these two types of companies will be measured in dollars and not cents — and it will open in the next 12-18 months.
What “AI Readiness” Actually Means for Your Business
This isn’t about hiring an AI consultant or adding a chatbot to your site. This is about fundamentally ensuring your brand can be discovered, understood, and trusted by AI systems making purchase recommendations to hundreds of millions of users.
Here’s what that requires:
1. Content That AI Can Actually Use
Most ecommerce product content is optimized for Google’s 2015 algorithm: keyword-stuffed, feature-heavy, thin on context.
AI platforms need:
- Natural language descriptions that explain what problems your product solves and who it’s for
- Use case scenarios that help AI match products to customer needs
- Comprehensive specifications with context about why they matter
- Question-based content that matches how real people ask about products
The test: If someone asked an AI about products in your category, could the AI accurately explain what you sell, who it’s for, and why it’s valuable? Most brands fail this test completely.
2. Technical Infrastructure AI Platforms Can Parse
AI doesn’t experience your website like a human. It processes structured data, schema markup, and clear information architecture.
Your technical foundation needs:
- Comprehensive schema implementation (products, reviews, FAQs, organization)
- Clean site structure with logical categorization
- Fast load times and mobile optimization
- Consistent product data across all platforms
- Clear brand and authority signals
This isn’t optional. If AI systems can’t efficiently parse your site and product data, you don’t exist to them.
3. Brand Authority That Creates Trust
When an AI recommends a product, it’s putting its credibility on the line. AI platforms prioritize brands they can trust.
That means you need:
- Customer reviews and authentic social proof
- Expert content that demonstrates category knowledge
- Media mentions and quality backlinks
- Customer success stories and detailed case studies
- Thought leadership in your niche
Authority isn’t built overnight. The brands building it now will have massive leverage when competition intensifies.
4. Data and Insights to Inform Paid Strategy
When paid AI placements launch, you’ll need to know:
- Which products and categories have the strongest demand
- What language and positioning resonates with AI-assisted shoppers
- Which customer segments convert best from AI recommendations
- What your target CAC and LTV metrics need to be
The brands collecting this data now will make smarter, faster decisions when paid opportunities arrive.
The Financial Reality Every CEO Needs to Model
Numbers matter in the boardroom. Let’s talk about them.
Scenario A: You Build Now (Organic AI Visibility)
Investment: Comprehensive GEO strategy, content development, technical optimization
Timeline: 90-120 days to meaningful AI visibility
Ongoing: Consistent content and authority-building
18 months from now when ads launch:
- New customer acquisition coming from organic AI visibility (free)
- Strong brand recognition reduces paid CPC (sometimes by 40-60%)
- Blended CAC stays manageable because you own multiple channels
- You scale paid investment selectively to amplify what’s already working
Scenario B: You Wait (Reactive Paid-Only Strategy)
Investment: Minimal until ads launch
Timeline: N/A — you’re relying on existing channels
When ads launch: Forced into immediate paid competition
18 months from now when ads launch:
- Little to no organic AI visibility = 100% paid dependency
- No brand recognition = premium CPCs to compete with established players
- CAC spikes as you compete for limited inventory
- Margins compress. Growth requires exponentially more capital.
The delta between these two scenarios isn’t 10-20%. It’s 3-5X in customer acquisition efficiency.
And that compounds. Every month, every quarter. The brands that moved early get more efficient while late movers get more expensive.
Why Most Agencies Will Get This Wrong
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most marketing agencies aren’t equipped to help you navigate this shift.
They’ll tell you they do “AI optimization” or “ChatGPT marketing.” What they mean is they’ll add some keywords to your meta descriptions and call it a strategy.
That’s not enough. Not even close.
Real AI visibility requires:
- Deep understanding of how AI systems process and prioritize information
- Technical SEO expertise to implement proper structured data and schema
- Content strategy that goes far beyond product descriptions
- Brand authority development across multiple signals
- Integration with your existing growth systems
Most agencies specialize in one channel. They run your Google Ads or your Meta campaigns or your SEO program.
That approach breaks down completely in the AI era. You need a partner who understands the entire growth ecosystem: how AI visibility integrates with SEO, how paid strategies amplify organic presence, how content builds authority that reduces CAC across every channel.
You need a strategic partner who’s navigated platform shifts before and isn’t scared of this one.
How 5K Approaches This (And Why It Matters)
We’ve been doing this for 20+ years. We’ve helped ecommerce companies navigate every major platform shift, from the rise of Google Shopping to Facebook ads to Amazon’s advertising ecosystem.
We’re not reacting to the AI commerce shift. We saw it coming.
Our approach is built on a principle we’ve proven over two decades: sustainable growth comes from building systems that work across multiple channels and compound over time.
When Google algorithm updates hit, our clients’ rankings stay stable. When Facebook changes its algorithm, our clients don’t panic. When Amazon increases ad costs, our clients have alternatives.
Because we don’t build strategies dependent on a single platform. We build growth machines.
How We’re Helping Ecommerce CEOs Right Now
Phase 1: Strategic Assessment (Week 1-2)
We audit your current AI visibility and readiness across all major platforms. We identify gaps in content, technical infrastructure, and brand authority. We model what your competitive position will look like in 12-18 months if you act now vs. wait.
Phase 2: Foundation Building (Month 1-2)
We implement the technical infrastructure AI platforms require. We enhance your product content for natural language understanding. We establish your structured data and schema foundation.
Phase 3: Authority Development (Month 2-4)
We develop the content and brand signals that position you as a category leader. We build the educational resources AI platforms reference. We secure the authority markers that create trust.
Phase 4: Optimization and Scale (Ongoing)
We continuously test and optimize your visibility across AI platforms. We track emerging opportunities and threats. We integrate AI visibility into your broader growth strategy — SEO, paid ads, email, retention.
The result: You build organic AI visibility while it’s free. You collect data and insights that inform future paid strategies. You position your brand to thrive regardless of how the competitive landscape evolves.
And critically, you do all of this while continuing to grow your existing channels. This isn’t a pivot. This is an expansion.
The Three Questions Every Ecommerce CEO Should Ask Their Team This Week
1. “If a customer asks ChatGPT to recommend products in our category, will our brand be mentioned?”
Test it yourself. Go ask ChatGPT about products in your space. Are you showing up? Are your competitors? What’s the gap?
2. “What’s our strategy to build organic AI visibility in the next 90 days?”
Not “let’s keep an eye on it.” Not “we’ll figure it out later.” What’s the actual plan with owners, timelines, and deliverables?
3. “When ChatGPT ads launch, what percentage of our growth will depend on paying to play vs. organic presence we’ve built?”
If the answer is “mostly paid,” you’re setting yourself up for margin compression and CAC spiral. That’s not a growth strategy. That’s a ticking time bomb.
The Window Is Open Right Now
Here’s what every ecommerce CEO needs to understand: you’re in the brief window where AI visibility is determined purely by merit, not money.
Right now, ChatGPT product rankings are organic and unsponsored. The AI makes recommendations based on relevance, authority, and user value.
That won’t last.
ChatGPT ads are coming. When they launch, the organic space will compress, just like it did on every platform before it.
The brands that build authority now will have leverage then. The brands that wait will pay exponentially more to compete.
This isn’t theory. This is pattern recognition from 20+ years of helping ecommerce companies navigate platform shifts.
The CEOs who understand this are moving now. The question is: are you one of them?
Your Next Step
We work with ecommerce CEOs who understand that sustainable growth requires building systems that work regardless of platform changes; leaders who want a strategic partner, not just a vendor executing tactics.
If that’s you, let’s talk.
Schedule a growth strategy session and we’ll show you:
- Exactly where your brand stands in AI visibility right now
- What the competitive landscape looks like in your category
- What it takes to build organic authority before this becomes pay-to-play
- How this integrates with your existing growth systems (not replaces them)
We’ll be direct about whether we’re the right fit. If we’re not, we’ll tell you. If we are, we’ll show you exactly what the next 90 days should look like.
Because here’s the reality: ChatGPT commerce isn’t something to “keep an eye on.” It’s a fundamental restructuring of how hundreds of millions of people will discover and purchase products.
You can be positioned to thrive in that world, or you can be scrambling to survive in it.
The brands that build now will dominate. The brands that wait will pay.
The Bottom Line for CEOs
The AI commerce era is here. It will mature faster than any platform shift before it. The window for building free organic visibility is open right now — but it’s closing fast.
