How will retail search behaviors shift over the next 18 months?

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Voices of Search
Episode Title: How will retail search behaviors shift over the next 18 months?
Date: October 14, 2025
Host: Tyson Stockton
Guest: AJ Grgic (Bodify)

This episode explores the rapidly evolving landscape of retail search behaviors, with a sharp focus on the anticipated impacts of AI-driven shopping assistants over the next 18 months. Host Tyson Stockton and guest AJ Grgic dive into actionable strategies for brands preparing for a major industry shift, particularly in anticipation of upcoming Black Friday cycles.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. “Crystal Ball” Predictions for Retail & Search (00:43–03:12)

• Black Friday as a Tipping Point:

  • Current industry conversations are fixated on Black Friday, which AJ predicts will be the last "traditional" event before AI and agentic search capabilities become dominant.
  • AJ highlights that while AI tools like ChatGPT play a role today (impacting perhaps “5%, 10%, 12%” of behaviors and outcomes), their influence is set to surge in the coming year.

  “This is the last Black Friday. That AI search won’t dominate, that agentic search won’t dominate. This is the last one.”
  — AJ Grgic [01:22]

• The Rise of AI as the “Customer”:

  • AJ underscores a paradigm shift where, in 18 months, “your customer will be AI.” He urges brands to stop viewing AI merely as a tool to manipulate, and instead treat it as a legitimate end-user or gatekeeper in the purchasing journey.
  • Successful long-term strategies will focus on nurturing and influencing AI in ways akin to how brands currently consider human customers.

  “You need to stop, like tomorrow, stop thinking about AI as a technology to trick or influence … Would you do that with your customer? That’s not a good long term game.”
  — AJ Grgic [02:14]

• Actionable Guidance:

  • Brands should assess where AI derives its data and decisions from, considering how to productively “nurture” and “influence” AI in a responsible manner.
  • The speed of interface change and user adoption is described as “happening at a global pace,” urging companies not to delay adaptation.

  “They’re changing interfaces at an exponential curve and it’s happening at a global pace.”
  — AJ Grgic [01:45]

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2. Strategic Opportunities for Brands (03:12–04:00)

• Agility Wins:

  • Tyson observes that legacy retail brands resemble “cruise ships”—slow to turn—while nimble challengers can seize the “inside lane” by moving faster.
  • Early movers have a clear opportunity to outpace larger competitors during this period of disruption.

  “If you are able to move quickly…you actually do have an opportunity to get that inside lane.”
  — Tyson Stockton [03:35]

• Metaphor for Action:

  • AJ illustrates the point succinctly:

    “If you’re a cruise ship, launch speedboats. If you’re a speedboat, keep trucking. Right?”
    — AJ Grgic [04:00]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• AJ Grgic on the coming AI wave:

  “18 months from now…like it is coming like a freight train. And the user adoption, they are shifting and changing interfaces…at a global pace.” [01:45]

• On treating AI as your next ‘customer’:

  “In 18 months it will be everyone’s dominant customer." [02:05]

• Action for traditional brands:

  “If you’re a cruise ship, launch speedboats…” [04:00]

• Tyson on opportunity for disruptors:

  “…Try to use this as that opportunity to get the head start on it 100%.” [03:50]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:43 Introduction of lightning-round topic – retail search future
• 01:09 AJ’s forecast for Black Friday and rising AI influence
• 02:14 The necessity to “nurture” AI rather than manipulate
• 03:12 Tyson on competitive opportunity for fast movers
• 04:00 AJ’s “cruise ship/speedboat” analogy

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Summary & Takeaways

• Major Shift Imminent: The traditional retail and search landscape is in its final phase before AI-driven shopping assistants and agentic search become industry standard.
• Brands Must Adapt Mindset: Companies need to start treating AI as a real “customer”—one whose needs, preferences, and decision-making processes must be understood and influenced ethically.
• Speed is a Differentiator: Nimble brands have a rare opportunity to get ahead of slower, established competitors as these changes unfold.
• Action-Oriented Strategy: It’s time for organizations to assess, experiment, and move rapidly—either by launching new, agile initiatives (“speedboats”) or by accelerating current efforts.

This episode is a call to action for SEO professionals and retail brands: adapt now, or risk being left behind as AI redefines retail search.

Transcript

[A]

The Voices of Search Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice then visit iheareverything.com welcome to the Voices of Search Podcast. A member of the I Hear Everything Podcast network, ready to expedite your company's organic growth efforts. Sit back, relax, and get ready for your daily dose of search engine optimization wisdom. Here's today's host of the Voices of Search podcast, Tyson Stockton.

[B]

We're going to roll into kind of like the lightning round here. And so I'm going to throw kind of five different, you know, shorter form questions at you that are going to have its own kind of theme too. And the first one is going to be crystal ball. So you're looking out into the future and how you're seeing the world. And so the question is, how will retail search behavior shift over the next 18 months as a shopping assistance gain traction and popularity?

[C]

Well, that's a good question. I don't know if this is what I would use that crystal ball for. I think I would be, but yeah, but okay. In that constraint, what I'm talking to leaders at companies about right now is Black Friday because it's top of mind. And my point is this is the last Black Friday. That AI search won't dominate, that agentic search won't dominate. This is the last one. This is the last traditional Black Friday that you're going to have. It will be influenced by AI. It's not like ChatGPT is going to play no impact on this. But, but let's be realistic. What is the impact? 5%, 10%, 12%? You know, no one's going it's going to impact 42% unless you're in a very specific industry. And it's, but it's not there yet. 18 months from now, you know, next Black Friday. Oh, hell yeah. Like it is coming like a freight train. And the user adoption, they are shifting and changing interfaces. They're changing interfaces at an exponential curve and it's happening at a global pace. So yes, I mean, like I said, if yesterday they're installing one click checkout, you know, for your Etsy purchase and they're about to onboard Shopify. This is it. This is the last traditional moment. And we're going to see, like I said, the rise of AI itself being your customer. 18 months from now, your customer will be AI. That will be your customer. And so you need to stop, like tomorrow, stop thinking about AI as a technology to trick or influence or like, we do this and we can like make it do that and no, like, would you do that with your customer? That's not a good long term game. Like, go back to the basics. What is the AI like? Where does it get its facts? Where does it make its decisions? Like, how can we rightfully and properly nurture this relationship? Influence it. Like, think of it that way, because in 18 months it will be everyone's dominant customer.

[B]

I like that you called out Black Friday too, in that because I think, even though, and I agree with you that it's like, we'll see an impact this year, but it's like, come next, next year, Black Friday, it's like, yeah, I would expect the entire consumer experience to be quite a bit different. But I do think that there's that opportunity right now for those brands and those companies that can move quicker. And a lot of times these big brands, you know, it's like changing the direction of like a cruise ship where it takes a little bit more time, you're having to get more people on board. So it's like if you are able to move quickly, immobilize, like, you actually do have an opportunity to get that inside lane. And so as much as you can, especially if you're the up and comer in your category or space, try to use this as that opportunity to get the head start on it 100%.

[C]

If you're, if you're, if you're a cruise ship, launch speedboats. If you're a speedboat, keep trucking. Right?

[B]

Absolutely. Well, with that, that's going to wrap up this episode of the Voice of Search podcast. Thanks again to AJ Grgic from Bodify for joining us. If you'd like to contact AJ, you can find his LinkedIn profile in the show notes or you can go on over and check out his company's [e-mail] if you haven't subscribed yet and you want a daily stream of SEO and content marketing knowledge, hit that subscribe button in your podcast app or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed soon. So with that, thanks for stopping by and we'll see you in the next episode.