Overview
Stellagent released a survey on July 16, 2026, based on 150 washing machine purchase consultations with ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot. In the nationwide, general-context comparison limited to electronics retailers, Yodobashi Camera ranked first with 240 ranking points.
For more information, see the press release on PR TIMES.
Yodobashi Camera led the within-retailer comparison with 240 ranking points
Background
The total cost and satisfaction of a washing machine purchase depend on more than the unit price. Delivery access, installation space, the water supply valve, the drain outlet, the waterproof pan, recycling collection, 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 delivery, installation, warranty, and in-store consultation.
Key Findings
- A total of 740 recommendations were extracted from 150 responses across 5 AIs × 6 scenarios × 5 runs.
- In the 75 within-retailer responses (S4R–S6R), Yodobashi Camera led with 240 ranking points. Ranking points were tallied from 5 points for first place down to 1 point for fifth.
- Across the same 75 responses, K's Denki had the most first-place picks with 28 (closely followed by Yodobashi Camera at 27), while BicCamera had the most recommendations overall at 68 — so the top store varied by metric.
- By AI service, ChatGPT and Gemini tended to rank K's Denki first, Claude favored Yamada Denki, and Perplexity and Copilot favored Yodobashi Camera.
- Delivery and installation, warranty, and in-store consultation were mentioned in all 75 responses, while the water supply valve was mentioned in 43, the waterproof pan in 45, and drum-type versus top-load in only 28.
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 | 740 |
| Survey date | July 15, 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 and loyalty points, but also delivery and installation, recycling collection, warranty, and access to in-store consultation. There is also room to publish confirmation items such as the washing machine's dimensions, delivery access, waterproof-pan interior size, faucet height, drain-outlet position, and door-opening direction in a structured form.
The full ranking, AI-level trends, mentions of confirmation items, and methodology are available in the AI Washing Machine 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.