Overview
Stellagent released a survey on July 15, 2026, based on 150 air-conditioner purchase consultations with ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot. In the nationwide, general-context comparison limited to electronics retailers, K's Denki ranked first in ranking points, recommendation count, and first-place recommendations.
For more information, see the press release on PR TIMES.
K's Denki led the within-retailer comparison with 261 ranking points
Background
The total cost and satisfaction of an air-conditioner purchase depend on more than the unit price. Installation, additional work, the outdoor unit, piping, and warranty conditions all matter. As consumers increasingly ask generative AI where to buy, the stores and purchase sources AI recommends — and the reasons it gives — become a new entry point to comparison.
The survey used three purchase-source category scenarios and three within-retailer scenarios, recording recommendation destination, rank, rationale, caveats, and mentions of installation, warranty, and in-store consultation.
Key Findings
- A total of 719 recommendations were extracted from 150 responses across 5 AIs × 6 scenarios × 5 runs.
- In the 75 purchase-source category responses, electronics retailers were the most frequent first-place category with 30 picks. Kakaku.com and online retailers also ranked highly under price-focused conditions.
- In the 75 within-retailer responses, K's Denki led with 261 ranking points, 73 recommendations, and 34 first-place picks. Yodobashi Camera and Yamada Denki followed.
- Warranty and in-store consultation were mentioned in all 75 within-retailer responses, while room conditions such as floor area were mentioned in only five.
Survey Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| AI services | ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot |
| Scenarios | Three purchase-source category comparisons and three within-retailer comparisons |
| Runs | 5 AIs × 6 scenarios × 5 runs, 150 responses |
| Recommendations extracted | 719 |
| Survey period | July 13–14, 2026 |
| Conducted by | Stellagent Inc. |
Implications for Retailers and Manufacturers
For a specific store to be recommended by name, AI needs concrete reasons it can explain — not only price, but also total installed cost, extended warranty, transparent additional-work charges, and access to in-store consultation. There is also room to publish selection conditions such as floor area, sunlight, insulation, electrical supply, wall openings, and outdoor-unit placement in a structured form.
The full ranking, AI-level trends, mentions of installation risks, and methodology are available in the AI Aircon Purchase-Consultation Retailer Recommendation Survey.
Looking Ahead
Stellagent will continue measuring AI recommendations by product category and industry, helping retailers and manufacturers understand and improve how AI interprets and recommends them.