of e-commerce companies plan to implement LLM-based personalization solutions (Source: BytePlus, 2025)
of LLM usage (the largest share) in 2024 was held by the retail/e-commerce sectors (GlobalNewswire, 2025)
and more of API growth through 2026 will be driven by tools with LLMs (source: Gartner, 2024)
of companies already using GenAI productively – an increase of 10% in 4 months (Source: Gartner, 2024)
The AI Shopping Assistant heralds a new era in e-commerce: personalized advice in online stores – just as if an experienced sales assistant were standing right next to the customer. This is made possible by a large language model (LLM) that processes natural text and voice input in chat – including combinable filter and sorting functions. The AI Shopping Assistant is integrated directly into the results list, offering maximum flexibility, seamless integration, and context-sensitive advice in real time.
Especially during the important consideration phase, it accurately identifies the needs of your online shoppers and filters out the right products from your range. It combines current product data with the click and purchase behavior of online shoppers to make recommendations even more precise and personalized.
This reduces uncertainty, helps customers make the right purchasing decision, and lowers the return rate. Your customers receive exactly the guidance they need, find the perfect product, and shop with confidence. That’s exactly what Epoq Advise offers you.
During the consideration phase, potential customers actively compare different products in order to prepare for a purchase decision.
Our AI Shopping Assistant combines modern technology with an intuitive shopping experience. Six clearly structured functional areas demonstrate how it makes digital shopping smarter, faster, and more personalized – without disrupting users' familiar behavior. The functionality can be fully integrated into existing processes and offers your online shoppers real added value. The familiar product search remains unchanged – online shoppers can decide for themselves at any time whether they want to use the AI Shopping Assistant or navigate in the traditional way. The whole thing is demonstrated using the example of a wine shop – but our AI technology is flexible and can be used for all industries and product groups.
Link to product search and autosuggest
The AI Shopping Assistant is integrated directly into the product search. An icon in the search box indicates that personal assistance is available – clicking on it starts the consultation. This icon also appears in autosuggest next to matching suggestions, so online shoppers can access advice directly as they type – quickly, intuitively, and at just the right moment.
Free choice: classic search or personal assistance
Whether classic search or intelligent advice – online shoppers decide for themselves how they want to proceed. Clicking on the icon activates the AI Shopping Assistant and takes you directly to the search results list with the assistant integrated. Those who prefer to search without assistance can use the regular product search as usual – without any restrictions.
Advice on category pages
Optionally, the AI Shopping Assistant can also be integrated into category pages. When a specific category is clicked on, the bot appears in the header in a context-sensitive manner – this way, the advice begins directly in the appropriate subject area, supported by the online shopper's previous interaction.
Conversation starters to help you get started
When you first start using the AI Shopping Assistant, it suggests suitable conversation starters – such as "Dry Rieslings from Germany" or "Italian white wines compared." These suggestions are based on product data and previous click and purchase behavior, and are dynamically generated by our AI engine. Once you get started, they no longer appear, keeping the experience focused.
Natural language communication and product lists
As soon as a question is asked, the assistant responds in real time with a short, helpful answer in natural language and a product list relevant to the question. The behavior of online shoppers in the store – such as previous clicks, products viewed, or purchases – influences the weighting and selection of the products suggested.
Understanding complex queries (semantics)
The AI Shopping Assistant also understands complex queries with multiple criteria – for example: "I'm looking for a red wine from Southern Europe between $20 and $30." It recognizes intentions and restrictions and formulates appropriate recommendations – for example: "Sure, I'd be happy to show you red wines from Southern Europe in the $20 to $30 price range. Have fun discovering Mediterranean wines!"
Colloquial language and error detection
Even with unclear or incorrect input, the response remains accurate. Spelling mistakes such as "Chadonney" or colloquial language (such as "Sis" instead of sister) are interpreted correctly, as are regional dialects ("Hasch du Päzer Woi?").
Adaptation to language style and user behavior
The assistant adapts to the language of the online shopper. Those who use informal language are addressed informally, while those who use formal language are addressed formally. Brand-specific tones can also be defined. In addition, click and purchase behavior can be used for better interpretation – for example, to respond more specifically to individual preferences and suggest suitable alternatives.
Dynamic tags and full filter and sort function
Tags such as "dry" or "semi-dry" are displayed with the results list and help with quick filtering – without any new input. These dynamic tags can be combined with the classic filters and sort function, which remain fully usable – for a familiar user experience. When hovering over products, additional tags such as vintage, growing region, or grape variety are displayed. Clicking on them filters the results list directly, allowing for even faster navigation.
Diverse results instead of limited suggestions
The results lists can show more than just five suggestions – unlike many chatbots, our bot is directly integrated into the results list, providing enough space for product lists. Products with complementary relevance can also appear, tagged with explanatory tags such as "whiskey glasses" for the search term "whiskey."
Familiar experience, intelligently enhanced
Click and purchase behavior is factored into the weighting for displaying the results list. This produces personalized, context-related results – without replacing familiar behavior, as with classic search.
Content instead of dead ends
The AI Shopping Assistant not only answers questions about products, but also about general topics – such as "Where can I find your store?" or "What is your legal notice?" The answers link directly to relevant pages, e.g., a blog, an information page, or a service page.
Intelligently linked content
This turns product searches into thematic orientation. The assistant recognizes when content rather than products are required and automatically suggests suitable articles or help content.
Recommendations beyond products
Personal preferences are also taken into account: depending on click and purchase behavior, the assistant recommends, for example, themed worlds, promotions, or advice content. This creates a seamless shopping experience with real added value – beyond the product itself.
Once the user has found the right product, it can be added to the shopping cart directly from the results list or explored further on the product detail page – without media discontinuity or context change.
The AI Shopping Assistant is therefore not a detour, but a shortcut to the right product – seamlessly integrated into the familiar purchasing process.
"The AI Shopping Assistant combines modern LLM technology with our AI engine, which we have been developing for 20 years, and supplements classic search in online stores with dialogue-based advice. Users can search in the same way they are used to with ChatGPT – in natural language, even for abstract questions. The system understands complex relationships and provides suitable product recommendations – for a flexible, hybrid search experience that better suits the diversity of today's user needs."
Stephan Kölle | CTO | epoq internet services GmbH
The AI Shopping Assistant also understands complex queries with multiple conditions and restrictions. This allows users to search precisely, for example, "wine from Southern Europe, but not white wine, under $20," and still receive relevant results.
The AI recognizes connections between search terms, user intentions, and preferences. Instead of just responding to individual keywords, it thinks for itself and provides relevant product recommendations that match the overall desire.
The assistant also interprets typos, colloquial language, and regional dialects correctly. This ensures that user questions remain understandable and are answered reliably, even if they are not perfectly formulated.
The assistant automatically recognizes whether users are informal or formal and adjusts the tone accordingly – for a natural and customer-oriented approach.
In addition, the message can be adapted to the desired brand style so that communication always matches the brand identity.
The AI Shopping Assistant recognizes returning users and remembers preferences or previous conversations in order to continue the consultation in a meaningful way and make it even more personalized.
In addition to traditional text input, voice search offers a convenient and modern alternative for finding products using voice commands.
The AI Shopping Assistant offers smart introductory questions that are tailored to the situation, season, or target group, making it easier to start a conversation and actively guiding users through the store.
In addition to product data, the click and purchase behavior of the respective online shopper is taken into account when displaying the results lists, so that the most suitable products are displayed in real time.
The results lists show significantly more than the usual five suggestions. Products with only partial relevance can also be displayed, ensuring that the selection remains diverse and transparent.
Intelligent tags such as "dry" or "under €20" allow users to quickly filter results without having to retype anything. When hovering over a tag, additional tags such as vintage or growing region appear – one click adjusts the list directly.
In addition to the dynamic tags, all the usual filters, sorting options, and other shopping elements remain fully functional and combinable.
The assistant not only provides product recommendations, but also relevant information such as FAQs, service pages, and advice texts – for comprehensive guidance.
Based on user behavior, relevant topics, promotions, and campaigns are displayed to enrich and personalize the shopping experience.
Once the user has found the right product, it can be added to the shopping cart directly from the recommendation – without any media disruption or change of context.
Our AI engine is at the heart of the AI Shopping Assistant. It combines the power of LLMs for natural and contextual speech output with your store's individual data – such as your product catalog, customer click and purchase behavior, and your domain knowledge. This creates an intelligent knowledge base that delivers accurate product recommendations while responding naturally to queries.
Since the AI Shopping Assistant is a module of our personalization software, the knowledge base that has already been generated can be seamlessly used for other modules. This allows for flexible personalization of additional touchpoints in the store. This combination of state-of-the-art AI technology and data-driven personalization ensures a unique, individually tailored shopping experience.
Learn more about our AI Technology.
For many years, we have been supporting online shoppers with digital advice – initially in the form of guided selling and visual filters. This expertise has been incorporated into the further development of the AI Shopping Assistant. The result: an intelligent, dialogue-based shopping companion that provides personal support directly in the product search.
Our AI Shopping Assistant adapts not only to your customers, but also to you. In addition to automatic, AI-based product recommendations, you can incorporate your own specific requirements. You can control the results list using integrated merchandising options. The combination of intelligent personalization and manual control makes the AI Shopping Assistant a highly flexible sales tool – tailored to your product range, your strategy, and your KPIs.
Determine which products, brands, or categories should be displayed preferentially and highlighted specifically.
Define which business objectives – such as inventory clearance, margin strength, or new products – should be taken into account when displaying products.
Define which rules should apply to specific use cases or target groups.
The AI Shopping Assistant doesn't just think in terms of products – it also thinks in terms of target groups. You decide who gets to see what: personally, segmented, or according to strategic priorities.
Recommendations are based on the behavior of each individual user – in real time. This results in personalized advice that really fits.
Target specific groups: new customers, frequent buyers, bargain hunters, or those interested in seasonal items – everyone receives relevant content and product recommendations.
Want to put the spotlight on specific products? The AI Shopping Assistant connects your business goals with the right target group – automatically and controllably.
In order to tailor the AI Shopping Assistant optimally to your products, we need your product catalog in XML or CSV format, as well as data on the click and purchase behavior of your shop customers. We collect this behavioral data via a tracking code that you simply integrate into your online shop.
We will discuss your visual ideas together and send you the div element as a placeholder for the front end of the AI Shopping Assistant. You can then integrate this into your shop system at the desired location.
Once everything is integrated, your customers will have access to personalized, AI-powered advice – perfectly embedded in the customer journey of your online store.
The Epoq Control Desk allows you to monitor and control various KPIs of your digital product advisor.
In the "Key Figures" tab, you can view various KPIs for your digital product advisor: click performance, sales rate, conversion funnel, response times, and session duration.
Are your online shoppers unsure which product is right for them? The AI Shopping Assistant proactively supports them in their selection – in real time, personally, and around the clock.
You are experiencing high returns in certain product categories. These are often caused by false expectations. Our assistant recommends suitable products based on needs, thereby reducing mispurchases from the outset.
Does your product range require intensive consultation or explanation? The AI Shopping Assistant helps make products understandable and supports your online shoppers in their purchasing decisions.
With our AI Shopping Assistant, you can leverage technological advances to reduce returns and increase customer satisfaction.
An AI shopping assistant is a software-based solution that provides online shoppers with real-time, conversational, personalized product recommendations—right within the online store. Using a Large Language Model (LLM), it understands natural text and voice inputs, recognizes complex queries with multiple criteria, and delivers relevant product recommendations. Epoq Advise combines state-of-the-art LLM technology with a data-driven AI engine that processes product catalogs, click behavior, and purchase behavior in real time—for advice that truly suits each individual shopper.
In the German-speaking e-commerce market, Epoq is one of the most experienced providers of intelligent shopping assistants. With over 20 years of expertise in personalization and AI technology, Epoq offers Epoq Advise—a solution that can be fully integrated into online stores—without any disruption in the user experience, in compliance with GDPR, and flexible enough to be used across all industries and product ranges.
Yes – Epoq Advise can be used across all industries and helps online shoppers select products from complex, specialized product ranges such as home appliances, electronics, home furnishings, fashion, groceries, and baby & family products. The assistant understands combined queries with multiple criteria expressed in natural language and filters out the appropriate products in real time.
Epoq Advise supports multiple languages and automatically adapts to the shopper’s input language—including German, of course. This allows international online stores or multilingual marketplaces to be served without having to set up separate solutions. The language adaptation applies to both the processing of inquiries and the assistant’s responses.
Unlike traditional chatbots, Epoq Advise is integrated directly into the product search and results list—no separate chat window, no disruption in the user experience. This allows for an unlimited number of results instead of the usual five suggestions. Added to this is the unique combination of LLM language understanding and an AI engine refined over more than 20 years, which incorporates real-time behavioral data from every individual shopper. Merchandising control, customer targeting, and a memory function for returning users round out the offering.
In addition to traditional text search, Epoq Advise also supports voice search—shoppers can easily find products using voice commands. Voice search is integrated directly into the product search and is evaluated in the same context-sensitive way as text search—for a modern, accessible shopping experience.
Yes – Epoq Advise is ideal for gift shopping. The assistant understands requests such as “a gift for a wine lover under 50 euros” and filters suitable products from the product range. Using dynamic conversation starters, online stores can specifically offer the gift search as an entry point—which is particularly effective during the Christmas or Valentine’s Day season.
Yes—using Epoq Advise’s built-in merchandising management, online retailers can prioritize seasonal promotions, special offers, and featured items in the search results. This way, shoppers automatically see the most relevant offers at the right time—without having to search for them manually.
Epoq offers a free web demo where you can see Epoq Advise in action. You’ll see how the AI Shopping Assistant provides conversational guidance in a real-life shopping scenario—including the conversation, product recommendations, and a list of results. Click the “Request a Web Demo” link to sign up for your demo.
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