Ask ChatGPT or Google where to buy something, and it will usually point you to a big national retailer. New research shows just how strong that tendency is, and it found one word that changes the answer.
A study by Vaer AI for Lightspeed Commerce looked at nearly half a million AI shopping answers from ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Google AI Mode, and AI Overviews across the U.S. and Canada. Even when the AI searched the web live, big retailers were the top recommendation in 46% to 58% of answers. With web search off, national chains made up roughly two-thirds of recommendations, and small independent stores only about 10%.
1. Being cited isn't the same as being recommended
Small and large retailers showed up as sources about equally, roughly 38% each. But large chains were about 2.5 times as likely to be the store the AI actually recommended. In other words, your store can show up in the AI's research and still not get named in the answer.
2. The more specific the search, the bigger the gap
For broad searches, like toys for a 6-year-old, small stores won about a third of the top recommendations. When shoppers named a specific product, that fell to around 10%, while big retailers climbed to about 60%.
3. One word flips it: "independent"
When prompts included the word "independent," the share of small and local stores named jumped from about a third to nearly four out of five. "Local" and "near me" helped much less, partly because AI can treat a nearby location of a national chain as local.
4. What small businesses can do about it
Say it plainly, everywhere. If you're independently owned, put that on your homepage, About page, Google Business Profile, and directory listings. A phrase like "independent, family-owned bike shop in Patchogue" matches the exact language shoppers use when they want to support a small business.
Win where chains can't. Big retailers dominate searches for specific products, so build content around what you do better: expert advice, hard-to-find items, fitting, installation, repairs, and local service. Pages that explain why someone should buy from a specialist give AI a reason to recommend you.
Get mentioned beyond your website. AI leans heavily on what others say about you. Local news coverage, shop-local guides, community sites, and reviews that mention your business by name all help.
Try it yourself. Ask ChatGPT and Google's AI Mode where to buy what you sell in your area, once normally and once with the word "independent." It's a quick way to see where you stand.
Helping local businesses show up in AI search is a growing part of my work. If you want to know how AI tools describe and recommend your business today, I can help you find out and fix what's missing.
