Brands now face an AI-powered discovery funnel—structured product data is their lifeline to visibility.
Clean product data is now your ticket to the AI discovery funnel.
The AI search arms race just got another major player. BigCommerce, the open SaaS ecommerce platform, and Feedonomics, the data feed powerhouse, are teaming up with Perplexity, the fastest-growing AI answer engine, to help brands surface—and convert—in AI-powered shopping experiences.
The catch: If your product data sucks, you’re invisible.
Why this matters for ecommerce operators
Let’s cut through the fluff: generative AI isn’t “coming” to ecommerce—it’s already reshaping the funnel. Platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT are collapsing discovery, research, and purchase into a single chat-driven experience. No tabs. No redirects. Just “ask, recommend, buy.”
The kicker? LLMs like Perplexity don’t crawl your janky product pages the way Google used to. They need structured, clean, conversion-ready data—and that’s where Feedonomics steps in.
According to Sharon Gee, BigCommerce’s SVP of AI, “AI-powered search is redefining how consumers discover and engage with products online. For consumer brands, this represents a pivotal moment to lead with innovation. By delivering high-quality product data directly to LLMs, brands ensure their products surface more accurately and contextually. Ensuring quality data feeds are optimally structured and accessible to AI search channels is a strategic imperative for driving relevance, loyalty and growth in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.”
What the BigCommerce x Perplexity play unlocks
- Clean, structured data feeds: Feedonomics pipes AI-ready product data straight to Perplexity.
- Visibility in AI search: Your products appear more contextually and accurately in AI results.
- Control over how you show up: No more hoping LLMs scrape your site right—you own the narrative.
This isn’t theoretical. Revelyst—parent to Bell, CamelBak, Fox Racing—is already seeing stronger brand consistency and better conversions thanks to optimized feeds.
Operator POV: AI discovery is now your top funnel—play offense
Look, the old SEO game is dying. Google’s AI Mode nuked traditional rankings, and chat-driven commerce is taking over. Perplexity’s 15 million users aren’t browsing—they’re asking specific, purchase-ready questions like “best budget trail helmet with MIPS tech”—and expecting immediate, accurate answers.
Without structured, feed-optimized data, your products miss that window. Worse? You hand traffic to competitors who did their homework.
Final take: If you’re serious about ecommerce growth in 2025, your product data isn’t a back-office chore—it’s your AI funnel lifeline. BigCommerce and Feedonomics just handed brands a shortcut to control their presence in the next era of shopping.
Sit this one out? You’re invisible in AI search. Play offense? You own the discovery funnel.
The Weekly Rundown for Ecommerce Insiders
