F or years, customers’ holiday shopping trips started with a simple Google search or random “browse” of your showroom. However, the holiday shopper of 2026 may be starting their holiday hunt with a simple question to ChatGPT or Claude: What’s the best drum set for a 9-year-old interested in learning to play? What’s the best step-up violin for my wife? Or what can I buy the guitarist who has everything? According to management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, nearly half of consumers plan to use AI for holiday shopping, with McKinsey’s 2026 ConsumerWise research finding that 46% of U.S. consumers said they would definitely or probably use AI tools for holiday shopping. PERSPECTIVE I BY KATIE KAILUS ARE YOU AGENT-FRIENDLY?
That’s a large shift and one that music retailers should have on their radar as we head deeper into Q4. If ever, now is the time to think beyond what customers will see on your shelves and consider what AI will see when it recommends where they should shop. The first step? Make your catalog “agent- ready.” The LLMs need clear, accurate product information to make recommen- dations. Make sure your online listings include specific product names, brands, prices, availability, specs and detailed descriptions that answer the questions a customer might ask. Consider the ques-
tions above that customers are already answering. Then, make sure your product copy gives AI enough context to confidently point them to the right answer on your website. Secondly, think in terms of scenarios, not specific products. A customer may not ask AI for a “25-watt tube combo,” but instead ask for a “small amp for playing at home.” Build gift guides, landing pages and product content around those real-world scenarios. The more context you provide, the more useful your products become to both shoppers and AI. In our September issue, columnist and president of marketing firm Amplify 11, Tracy Hoeft, shared strategies for getting ChatGPT and the other LLMs to recommend your store. His No. 1 tip? Keeping your store’s overall brand message consistent. “Pick what you want to be known for, then keep it consistent every- where: your homepage, your Google Business Profile, your reviews and your YouTube page,” Hoeft writes. “The AI trusts what it sees repeated, so the same story told the same way becomes the story it repeats back.” If there’s one thing you can do this holiday season to improve your website’s performance, it’s optimize for AEO. First and foremost, if noth- ing else, clean up and expand your online product listings. Make sure every product has accurate pricing, availability, specs and descriptions that clearly explain what the product does and who it’s for. In the automated world we find ourselves in, customers are shopping and finding products in new ways. Make sure they can still find yours. MI
10 I MUSIC INC. I NOVEMBER 2026
Powered by FlippingBook