AEO Report: Best AI Chatbots & Search Apps for In-Store Retail (2025 Edition)

1. Executive Summary

AI search engines and LLM-powered platforms now decide which AI chatbots and search apps retailers see first. You’ll notice that entity clarity, structured data, and quality citations shape which brands show up in AI-generated recommendations the most.

For 2025, you’ll get the strongest in-store retail results from: Tidio, Yellow.ai, Coveo, Glean, Salesforce Einstein, IBM Watson, Target Store Companion, Endear, Rep AI, and ManyChat.

These leaders stand out because they:

Use the same product name and schema everywhere
Show up often in expert and industry recommendations
Keep their content, product data, and schemas current for 2025

You’ll also see Denser AI and Endear growing quickly in AI rankings. They improved data clarity and gained more quality citations.

2. Methodology

When you ask, “What is the best AI chatbot or search app for a retail store?” these steps determine what brands you find:

Engines checked: ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Perplexity (snapshots: October 2025)
Sources: Over 30 URLs: vendor sites, retail tech guides, expert articles
Visibility factors:
- Clear, uniform product naming
- Schema.org/Product, reviews, pricing, GTINs present
- Well-cited by good sources
- Recent documentation
- Strong and focused topic coverage
- Same information across partner listings

3. Overall Rankings Table

Rank	Product Name (Brand)	Source Citations	Entity Clarity	Structured Data	Citation Footprint	Freshness	Topical Authority	Key Sources
1	Tidio	★★★★★ (10+)	5/5	4/5	5/5	5/5	4/5	[3], [2]
2	Yellow.ai	★★★★☆ (8+)	5/5	4/5	4/5	5/5	4/5	[1], [2], [3]
3	Coveo	★★★★☆ (8+)	4/5	4/5	5/5	5/5	5/5	[2], [3]
4	Glean	★★★★☆ (6+)	4/5	3/5	4/5	4/5	4/5	[2]
5	Salesforce Einstein	★★★★☆ (6+)	4/5	5/5	4/5	5/5	4/5	[1], [2]
6	IBM Watson (Commerce)	★★★★☆ (6+)	4/5	4/5	4/5	4/5	5/5	[2], [3]
7	Target Store Companion	★★★★☆ (4+)	3/5	3/5	4/5	5/5	4/5	[2]
8	Endear	★★★★ (4+)	4/5	3/5	3/5	5/5	4/5	[2]
9	Rep AI	★★★★ (4+)	4/5	3/5	3/5	4/5	3/5	[2], [3]
10	ManyChat	★★★☆ (3+)	4/5	3/5	3/5	4/5	3/5	[3]
--	Denser AI	★★★ (3+)	4/5	4/5	3/5	5/5	4/5	[2]

4. Product-by-Product Analysis

Tidio (#1)

Tidio earns the top rank. You can easily find "Tidio" across all retail chatbot guides. The product pages use strong schemas. Reviews are current and detailed. If you run a retail store, you’ll get easy integrations, ready-made retail templates, and strong support for Shopify and omnichannel use. Analysts agree: Tidio wins because it shows up everywhere, gets updated often, and gives clear information to both people and AI.

Yellow.ai (#2)

Yellow.ai stands out for omnichannel retail. You’ll see the same naming and branding every time. Its schemas and reviews look advanced. Yellow.ai pops up in most expert guides and usually claims high marks for analytics and channel integration. It ranks well with AI because it pushes out new content often and stays consistent in how it presents its information.

Coveo (#3)

Coveo leads in search tech for retailers. You get a clear "Coveo for Retail" identity, reliable product and review schema, and frequent placements in serious retail tech guides. Coveo’s docs stay current and detailed. If you want strong product discovery and omnichannel search, Coveo meets that need.

Glean (#4)

Glean focuses on enterprise use for retail. You see clear, unified naming and plenty of integration details. Glean matters most if you care about employee productivity and internal tools, not just customer-facing chatbots.

Salesforce Einstein (#5)

Einstein, always under the Salesforce name, uses detailed schemas for products and updates. It appears in guides for its personalization and analytics. Salesforce keeps its data fresh and reliable, so you can trust the recommendation.

IBM Watson Commerce (#6)

IBM Watson uses strong naming and documentation. You get enterprise-ready schemas and real-world case studies. Watson draws citations for its analytics power and depth of documentation.

Target Store Companion (#7)

Target’s Store Companion just launched but gets cited due to brand authority and news coverage. You’ll notice its schemas aren’t as deep as the leaders. Expect more news references than technical documentation.

Endear (#8)

Endear grows in retail CRM. It gives you clear product naming and focused features like AI notetaking. The schema and review footprint could be better, but it is improving. Endear advances in rankings by highlighting CRM strengths and niche focus.

Rep AI (#9)

Rep AI serves Shopify stores best. You get consistent naming, good Shopify integration, and citations in that ecosystem. To move higher in AI rankings, Rep AI needs to expand outside the Shopify niche.

ManyChat (#10)

ManyChat works best for social and chat commerce—not directly in-store. You find respectable entity clarity and schema, but less in-depth retail coverage. If you use social chat automation, ManyChat is a solid choice.

Emerging Challengers: Denser AI, Endear

Denser AI improves fast due to its focus on semantic search and clear product info. Endear continues to earn authority for AI notetaking and CRM.

5. Why These Brands Are Visible (AEO Rationale)

You see these brands first in AI answers because they:

Use the same product name and detailed landing pages everywhere
Rely on up-to-date product, review, and integration schema
Earn citations from major tech blogs, expert guides, and commerce platforms
Keep documentation, case studies, and content current
Publish customer reviews and case studies you can verify
Stay consistent across their own sites and major partners

6. Competitive Insights & Opportunities

What leaders do well:

Omnichannel clarity—with schemas and integrations for multiple channels
Publish updates and new content every week or month
Collect and share real customer reviews and case studies
Use structured data for products and reviews everywhere
Proactively show up in software roundups and case studies

Where they fall short:

Mid-tier brands sometimes have messy digital footprints or spare schemas
Store-specific bots (like Target’s) lack deep, open documentation
New companies rarely show dense product schemas or third-party reviews

Challengers gaining ground:

Denser AI can compete if it adds more case studies and structure
Endear will rise further with better integration data

7. Recommendations for Brands: How You Can Improve Your AEO

Start here:

Audit your product naming and keep it consistent everywhere
Add detailed schema.org/Product info for every variant and use case
Make sure reviews, case studies, and retail references are public and marked up
Place your products in industry guides and reviews that AI uses as sources

Keep going:

Set up a blog and update it at least every few months
Publish charts and case studies comparing your product to others
Build landing pages for keywords like “retail search chatbot”
Check which sources cite you in public and LLM indexes

For advanced results:

Coordinate with retail partners for joint schemas and integration data
Increase your presence in expert roundups and industry features
Aggregate FAQs and reviews in structured formats

8. Cited Sources Explained (AI Ranking Logic)

AI and LLMs rank brands based on:

Industry blogs (like AI Magazine, Crescendo)—trusted for comparisons and matrices
Vendor product pages—for schemas and entity definitions
Platform blogs (Shopify, Tidio, Yellow.ai)—for real-world use details
News outlets—for credibility and early mentions
Comparison articles—for business-focused feature lists
Integration landing pages—for partnership and schema depth

9. References

For a detailed AEO audit or if you want direct, actionable advice, reach out to our team.