As the major retailers battle it out for a place on consumers’ Christmas shopping lists, specialist brands are also making their mark as consumers turn to AI for product recommendations, outperforming some of the UK’s biggest names when shoppers ask for more specific gift ideas.
That is according to the “Who’s on AI’s Christmas List?” study by communications agency Visible PR and AI visibility specialist IgniteStack, which analysed 600 responses to 100 non-branded Christmas gifting questions across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews, tested in October 2026.
John Lewis appeared in 60 of the 300 answers generated on each date, almost twice as often as its nearest competitors: Hampers.com (31 appearances) in the first run and Fortnum & Mason (32) in the second. Yet within individual gifting categories, brands including Hampers.com, Monica Vinader and Lego were among the strongest performers.
In fact, Hampers.com topped food and drink gifting in both research runs, with an average category share of voice of nearly 22%, ahead of Fortnum & Mason and Harrods. In jewellery, Monica Vinader led both tests, averaging 22% share of voice, ahead of Pandora, while Missoma and Astrid & Miyu also performed strongly. Lego dominated recommendations for children’s presents, accounting for nearly 47% of tracked-brand appearances on average across the two runs.
The strongest-performing brands share a clear, recognisable proposition that gives shoppers a reason to choose them. This reflects a pattern that has emerged across Visible’s research and client audits in the category: Brands with clear relevance to specific shopping needs often feature strongly in AI answers.
Hampers.com has built its offering around gifting occasions, budgets and who shoppers are buying for. Monica Vinader has established a distinctive position around contemporary jewellery and personalisation, while Lego offers products that appeal to different ages, interests and types of play.
The findings suggest that building brand awareness is only part of the picture; it is just as important to communicate what makes a brand relevant to a particular need and why consumers should choose it.
IgniteStack co-founder Tom Bowie said: “What’s interesting about this research is that we haven’t asked AI about particular brands. We have asked the kinds of questions consumers might ask when looking for a gift. That gives marketers a different way to think about visibility: not simply whether their brand is well known, but whether it’s being considered when someone has a specific need.
“Our findings point to four practical steps for brands: understand the questions consumers are asking, clearly communicate what makes your brand relevant, identify the publications and other sources AI is citing, and regularly measure your visibility against competitors. As AI becomes another route to product discovery, marketers need to understand not just where their brand appears, but why it deserves to be recommended.”
The research also examined which publications and platforms were being cited in AI’s gifting answers, revealing the prominence of editorial gift guides and product reviews.
Which? appeared in 46% of ChatGPT’s gifting answers, followed by Woman & Home (26.5%), The Sun (22%) and The Guardian (15.5%). British GQ and British Vogue were each cited in 12% of responses.
Individual gift guides also featured repeatedly. Which?’s Best Gifts for Kids was cited in 15 answers across ChatGPT and Gemini, while British GQ’s stocking-fillers guide and British Vogue’s 100 Gifts Under £100 each appeared in seven answers.
The findings reinforce the importance of thinking about brand visibility beyond advertising and owned channels, particularly as AI becomes another place where consumers discover and evaluate products.
Visible PR senior consultant Clare Wimalasundera commented: “Brands invest heavily in building awareness and recognition, but our research highlights another consideration for marketers. Are you giving people, and potentially AI, clear reasons to choose your brand?
“It’s not enough to be known for making beautiful jewellery, for example. What makes your jewellery the right gift for a particular person? Is it personalisation, craftsmanship, design or price? Those are the distinctions that need to come through in your marketing, product information and media coverage.
“As AI becomes another route to product discovery, alongside traditional channels, brands need to think not only about how visible they are, but what they’re visible for.”
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