Growth Channel for DTC Brands
ChatGPT Apps
DTC
Why Shopify Brands Should Build a ChatGPT Store in 2026
MightyAI Team
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TLDR: In 2026, ChatGPT Store will be DTC’s most profitable new growth channel.
As Shopify brands sprint into Black Friday and Cyber Monday, every dollar is tuned toward performance and conversions. But once BFCM winds down, it’s time to look beyond ads. The next breakout growth channel for e-commerce in 2026 is already here — the ChatGPT Store.
The ChatGPT Store: The Next Performance Channel
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Apps, allowing businesses to create custom experiences inside ChatGPT. Think of it as your Shopify store — reimagined for conversational commerce. Customers can talk to your brand, browse products, explore reviews, and even check out — all through ChatGPT.
This turns your ChatGPT App into a performance marketing and customer acquisition channel. It’s discovery-based, intent-driven, and available to millions of engaged users every day.
The Scale Is Already Massive
ChatGPT now has 800 million weekly active users. That’s more than TikTok or Instagram saw at similar stages of growth. And it’s not just tech enthusiasts — 6% of ChatGPT conversations are about health, beauty, fitness, and self-care — the exact categories Shopify brands dominate.
Major global companies have already started building their ChatGPT apps:
- Walmart for product search and order tracking
- Uber for ride booking
- Canva for design creation
- Salesforce for customer engagement
- Coursera for personalized learning
When giants are moving early, it’s a signal: the platform shift is real.
Why It Matters for Shopify Brands
Your brand already has everything needed to shine inside ChatGPT:
- Product catalog & search
- Customer reviews
- Personalized recommendations
- Checkout and order tracking
All these experiences can live inside your ChatGPT Store, giving customers a new, frictionless way to shop and interact with your brand.
Build It with MightyAI
MightyAI helps Shopify brands build high-performing ChatGPT Stores — integrating catalogs, powering conversations, existing vendors & AI on the Shopify store and connecting checkout flows seamlessly.
So while you’re laser-focused on this year’s Black Friday, start planning for next year’s biggest opportunity: In 2026, ChatGPT Store will be DTC’s most profitable new growth channel.