Research: ChatGPT and home goods › Candles and home decor
What ChatGPT recommends when shoppers ask about candles and home decor
We took 8 US stores on Shopify that mainly sell candles and home decor and asked ChatGPT 10 shopper questions for each one, written from the store’s own catalog: its products, its prices, the occasions people buy for. ChatGPT answered 80 of the 80 questions.
The short version
- The store was named in 2.5% of the answers about its own products (2 of 80). Across all home goods it was 12%.
- 6 of the 8 stores were never named, in any of their 10 questions.
- ChatGPT cited web pages in 86% of answers.
- Marketplaces led by a wide margin. Etsy alone was cited in 17 of 80 answers, followed by vintage and design marketplaces (Chairish, 1stDibs).
Questions we asked
A few of them, exactly as asked:
- “What are the best scented candles for under $20?”
- “travel tin candles under $15 that actually smell good”
- “What are the best high-end art prints for a modern living room that look expensive?”
- “I'm looking for botanical or floral wallpaper for a nursery - what are the best options?”
- “What are the best brands for original watercolor art pieces around $1000”
Sites ChatGPT cited most
Number of answers that cited each site at least once. We leave out the stores we checked.
| Site | Type | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy etsy.com | marketplace | 17 |
| Homes & Gardens homesandgardens.com | magazine | 7 |
| Chairish chairish.com | vintage and design marketplace | 5 |
| eBay ebay.com | marketplace | 5 |
| 1stDibs 1stdibs.com | vintage and design marketplace | 5 |
| AllModern allmodern.com | retailer | 4 |
| Walmart walmart.com | retailer | 4 |
| Lumens lumens.com | retailer | 4 |
| Pinterest pinterest.com | social | 3 |
| Dancing Wick dancingwick.com | another brand’s store | 3 |
What a candles and home decor brand can do with this
- For candles, state burn time, wax and size. “50-hour burn, 8 oz soy wax” is a fact AI can quote; “our bestseller” is not.
- Describe the scent in notes (top, heart, base) and the room it suits.
- For art and decor, give dimensions, medium and framing in text.
- Decide on marketplaces on purpose. If shoppers and AI look on Etsy or Chairish for your category, a listing there may be how AI first finds you.
Limits
- Small sample: 8 stores and 80 answers. Read the numbers as a direction, not a precise rate.
- One answer per question, from OpenAI’s API (GPT-4.1 mini with web search, US location). ChatGPT’s answers change from run to run and week to week.
- Mixed catalogs: questions follow each store’s catalog, so some touch neighbouring categories.
- We do not publish the names of the stores we checked. Full method: main study.
Other categories: Bedding and bath · Furniture · Tableware and kitchen
Pickory asks AI your shoppers’ questions every week and shows who it names and why. A free one-time check for your store: getpickory.com.