It’s my birthday today 🎉 — and honestly, the best present would be a quick “happy birthday” email if you’re reading this.

Now, back to business.

Last week, we were talking about fake fashion models.
This week? We’re talking about where your customers actually shop — and spoiler: it’s not Google or Instagram anymore.

OpenAI just released its first deep dive into how people use ChatGPT. Turns out, the app isn’t just for homework hacks and office busywork. It’s where 700M people a week are asking questions, making decisions, and — yes — discovering brands.

If ChatGPT is the new storefront, then the real question is: does your brand even show up?

Inside this issue:

✅ Cover Story: The new storefront is a chat box
✅ Swipe File: Klarna’s ChatGPT shopping assistant
✅ Spotlight: ChatGPT testing a internal shop feature
✅ Runway Reel:
✅ Fun Fact: Chanel No. 5 was chosen by superstition

🕒 Read time: 2 minutes — about the time it takes to load a shopping cart on slow Wi-Fi.

Gen Z doesn’t Google. They ChatGPT

Half of all chats come from under-26s. Here’s what that means for brand discovery in the AI era.

I used to think ChatGPT was a work tool.
Great for polishing emails, summarizing meeting notes, maybe helping a student with homework.

But last week, OpenAI dropped a 70-page report — How People Use ChatGPT — and it tells a very different story.
The app isn’t just a work sidekick anymore. It’s becoming the place where people ask questions, make decisions, and discover products.

If you run a brand? That makes ChatGPT less of a toy and more of a storefront.

Meet the new storefront

By July 2025, ChatGPT hit 700 million weekly users — that’s ~10% of all adults on the planet. Together, they send 18 billion messages every week.

And the base is shifting fast:

• Early users skewed male and highly educated. Now? Near gender parity.

• Nearly half of all messages come from people under 26.

• Usage is rising fastest in low- and middle-income countries.

Translation: the next generation of shoppers is AI-native. They don’t just search for info — they ask it.

Why this matters

In mid-2024, most ChatGPT usage was still tied to work (53%). Today? Over 70% of all conversations are non-work.

The top three buckets now:

• Practical guidance: personalized “how do I…” answers (fitness plans, styling advice, trip planning).

• Seeking information: product research, comparisons, factual questions (a direct substitute for search).

• Writing help: editing, critiquing, translation (40%+ of work-related use).

For brands, this isn’t academic. It means customers are asking ChatGPT instead of Google: “What’s the best tote under $200?” “Which sneakers are good for humid weather?” “What’s a sustainable alternative to leather?”

If your brand isn’t part of that answer, you don’t exist.

The hidden economics

The report never says “commerce.” But read between the lines:

• Discovery has moved. Shoppers are shifting their product research into AI chats. Search and social aren’t the only gates anymore.

• Personalization is the currency. People aren’t satisfied with generic info — they want tailored, contextual answers.

• Augmentation beats automation. Most writing prompts aren’t “write me an email.” They’re “fix what I’ve already written.” Customers want support, not replacement.

That’s a major signal: brands that position AI as a guide will thrive. Those that treat it as a content vending machine? Not so much.

The irony here

Fashion has long obsessed over authenticity — real experiences, real voices.
But the new “shopping mall” is a blank white chat box with no shelves, no models, no curated grid.

And the kicker? Consumers love it.

The report shows that nearly half of all chats are people asking for advice — and those are the conversations with the highest satisfaction.

In other words, the more AI feels like a trusted friend, the happier the customer.
For brands built on broadcasting and advertising, that’s a radical shift: you’re now expected to be a conversational partner.

What fashion founders should take away

• Be LLM-ready. Structure your product data and imagery so AI tools can find and surface you. Messy feeds = invisibility.

• Create guidance, not noise. FAQs, styling tips, fit guides, decision trees. People want advice that feels personal.

• Think beyond borders. Half of ChatGPT users are under 26, with fastest growth outside wealthy countries. That’s your future market.

• Use AI to sharpen, not replace. Consumers are using it to refine what they’ve already created. Do the same with your brand voice.

• Frame it smartly. Don’t sell “we use AI.” Sell personalization, sustainability, or accessibility. That’s what builds trust.

Bottom line

OpenAI’s new report isn’t just about how people use ChatGPT. It’s about how your customers make decisions.

The storefront has shifted from search engines and social feeds to conversations inside AI.
If your brand isn’t ready to show up there — clearly, consistently, and helpfully — you might as well be invisible.

Swipe File (Real tactics used by real brands)

Klarna’s ChatGPT Shopping Assistant

What happened:
In early 2024, Klarna rolled out a shopping integration with ChatGPT. Shoppers could ask things like “What are the best running shoes under $150?” or “Show me gifts for a foodie friend.” Instead of generic links, the assistant gave curated recommendations from Klarna’s network of 500k+ retailers, with direct shoppable links.

Why it worked:

• Frictionless discovery: Instead of opening 12 tabs, customers got side-by-side product comparisons inside a single chat.

• Tailored curation: Answers felt personal — a step beyond scrolling endless catalogs.

• Conversion lift: Klarna reported a measurable increase in engagement and transactions from users who interacted with the assistant.

Lesson for founders:
OpenAI’s report shows “seeking information” and “practical guidance” are the most common ChatGPT use cases. Klarna leaned right into that by making discovery conversational. The takeaway? Your brand info needs to be LLM-friendly. When customers phrase shopping as a question, the brands with clear, structured, accessible data are the ones that show up in the answer.

The Runway Reel

This Indian brand scaled without any fancy logos or investors

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Spotlight

This week’s pick:
ChatGPT is getting its own checkout button

OpenAI is quietly building an Orders hub that will let users store credit cards, make one-click purchases, and track orders across devices. Think: Amazon-style convenience, but inside ChatGPT.

Other updates on deck:

• Voice Mode will live directly in the main chat window for smoother multimodal back-and-forth.

• Parental controls are being added, hinting at new education-focused features.

• Rollout looks staged — no clear launch date yet.

📖 [Read the full article →]

A Final Note

Fun Fact

When Coco Chanel launched her perfume in 1921, she picked the fifth sample her perfumer offered — and since 5 was her lucky number, she named it Chanel No. 5.

Today, brands don’t need luck — AI lets you test five campaign ideas before lunch.

The lesson? What used to be superstition is now simulation.

Let me know what you thought of this edition.Until next time,