Google’s nightmare: Perplexity becomes a shopping machine
Date: November 28, 2025 Category: Tech News / E-Commerce
In November 2025, Perplexity AI took what was arguably the most aggressive step in its corporate history, sending a clear message to Silicon Valley giant Google. With the launch of its new platform, “Perplexity Shopping,” the company is transforming itself from a simple answer engine into a fully-fledged e-commerce solution. The core of this strategy: a seamless shopping experience that no longer redirects users to third-party websites, but instead allows them to complete their purchase directly within the chat.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the latest developments at Perplexity.
The transition to the “Action Engine”
“Snap to Shop” and visual search
In addition to text search, Perplexity has significantly expanded its visual capabilities. With the “Snap to Shop” feature, users can take a photo of a product in the real world. The AI not only identifies the object but also immediately searches the network for the best available offer and suggests an instant purchase.
Why this is dangerous for Google
Perplexity is positioning itself precisely in the most lucrative niche on the internet: product-specific search (commercial intent queries).
Why this is dangerous for Google
- Loss of Ad Revenue: When users buy directly within the AI, clicks on Google Shopping Ads and sponsored links—Google’s main source of revenue—are eliminated.
- Neutral Advice: Unlike Amazon, which often prioritizes its own brands and sponsored products, Perplexity offers a more neutral “pros & cons” analysis based on real user reviews (e.g., from Reddit).
Sources
The information is based on the official announcements and reporting from November 2025:
- Perplexity Official Blog: “Introducing Perplexity Shopping” (Nov 2025)
- TechCrunch: “Perplexity partners with PayPal to launch one-click checkout”
- The Verge: “Perplexity is becoming a store: What the new AI shopping features mean for the web.”
- Image material: Google Banana Pro
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