The problem
New stock needs telling people about, and posting is what gets dropped on a busy shop floor. If an owner writes 5 posts a week at 15 minutes each, that's 75 minutes a week, about 323 minutes, 5.4 hours a month (75 x 4.3).
What the AI does
Each week, list what arrived with the facts you can stand behind: name, price, size, colour, maker and any limited quantity. Paste that into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask for five short posts in your shop's voice, plus a one-line shelf note for each. Check every price, size and claim against the product before posting. Ask it to avoid claims you haven't given it, such as 'handmade in Britain' or 'sustainable'. Add your own photo; the posts are only as good as the facts you supply.
A worked example
A gift and homewares shop in Harrogate with three staff gets two or three deliveries a week and posts five times a week on Instagram and Facebook. The owner pastes in the delivery list every Monday.
Before
5 posts a week at 15 minutes: 75 minutes a week, about 323 minutes, 5.4 hours a month
After
5 posts a week at 5 minutes to supply facts, review and tweak: 25 minutes a week, about 108 minutes, 1.8 hours a month
What it's worth
About 3.6 hours a month saved (215 minutes), worth around £72 if your time is worth £20 an hour. Free plans may be enough; ChatGPT Plus is about £20 a month, Google AI Pro £18.99 and Claude Pro about £13 to £15, so £20 is the top of the range for one person.
How to set it up
- Keep a running list of each delivery with the product facts and prices you've checked.
- Paste the list into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask for five short posts and a shelf note for each, using only those facts.
- Check each price, size and claim against the product, and delete anything you didn't supply.
- Add your own photos and schedule the posts in the social tool you already use.
- Save the prompt that gives you the best tone so the next week takes minutes.
What goes wrong
- AI will happily invent details such as materials, origins, 'handmade' or 'eco-friendly'. Consumer protection law means you must be able to back every claim, so check against your supplier information.
- Don't paste customers' names or contact details into an assistant.
- Posts that all sound the same bore regulars; add a genuine comment about why you chose the item.
- Free plans have usage limits; only pay if you hit them regularly.