497 businesses · Saskatoon · October 2026
Point-in-time ChatGPT visibility research for Downtown Saskatoon BID. 497 businesses analyzed, 42% mentioned at least once, 58% not visible in tested responses. Prepared by CLIXERA for BID outreach and community workshops.
This research examines how Downtown Saskatoon BID businesses appeared in ChatGPT responses when consumers asked for local recommendations.
497 eligible businesses were tested across 3,068 questions. Each business received category-matched prompts designed to reflect the kinds of queries a consumer might actually ask.
This is a point-in-time benchmark collected on October 5, 2026. ChatGPT answers can change. This study measures which businesses entered the AI-generated shortlist at that moment — not future guaranteed mentions.
497
Businesses analyzed
3,068
ChatGPT questions asked
42%
At least one mention
58%
Not visible in test
42% of Downtown Saskatoon businesses (209 of 497) were mentioned at least once.
35% had strong visibility (appeared in multiple relevant responses), 7% had limited visibility (appeared once), and 58% were not named in any tested response.
Discovery questions (like "best florist in Saskatoon") produced a 39% mention rate. Recommendation questions (like "Who should I see for a dentist?") produced a 34% mention rate.
42%
Mentioned at least once
35%
Strong visibility
7%
Limited visibility
58%
Not visible
Visibility varied by category. Stay performed best at 60%, while shopping businesses had the lowest visibility at 33%.
These category rates show which types of Downtown Saskatoon businesses entered ChatGPT's shortlist most consistently in this test.
| Category | Businesses | Mention Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Financial & Professional Services | 173 | 36% |
| Health, Beauty & Fitness | 125 | 50% |
| Shopping | 91 | 33% |
| Food & Drink | 61 | 51% |
| Other | 22 | 41% |
| Arts & Entertainment | 20 | 55% |
| Stay | 5 | 60% |
Below are sample ChatGPT answers from the test. These examples show which Downtown Saskatoon businesses were named — and which questions returned no Downtown Saskatoon businesses at all.
Businesses were sourced from the Downtown Saskatoon BID public directory. National chains, businesses without websites, and civic listings were excluded so the benchmark reflects local independent businesses.
This benchmark uses the 935 listings in the Downtown Saskatoon BID directory extract on October 5, 2026.
3,068 ChatGPT questions were asked across 224 unique prompts. Questions were matched to each business's category and pinned to Saskatoon at the city level.
Each business received approximately 6 questions. Questions were not averaged across multiple runs. This study used ChatGPT (OpenAI) on October 5, 2026.
Public directory cards did not include street addresses, so Places matching used the business name plus Saskatoon. Chain hotels (Delta Bessborough, Sheraton Cavalier) appeared in hotel answers but were not scored.
This is a point-in-time benchmark of the ChatGPT responses tested on October 5, 2026. This study uses the 935 listings in the Downtown Saskatoon BID directory extract from that day. Scores are the share of scored members named in those answers. ChatGPT answers can change. This is not a guarantee of future mentions, and it does not mean an unnamed business can never appear.
If a customer's shortlist is built in ChatGPT, neighbourhood independents that never appear may never get considered.
This research does not claim that appearing in ChatGPT causes a purchase, nor does it prove that an unnamed business cannot succeed. It identifies an emerging layer of local discovery that BID members may want to understand.
CLIXERA can walk BID members through these findings in a short workshop or lunch-and-learn. This page is the leave-behind — contact CLIXERA if you want to schedule a community session.
