Google, Shopify and retailers push AI shopping standard
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Google and Shopify, along with retailers, unveiled a new standard to help AI autonomously complete purchases across different shopping platforms.
Why it matters: AI is getting better at helping people shop — and it's already influencing buying decisions.
- New Salesforce data shows artificial intelligence and agents drove about 20% of retail sales this past holiday season, highlighting growing demand for more information and reassurance before shoppers hit "buy."
Driving the news: The initiative, announced at the National Retail Federation's annual conference in New York on Sunday, centers on the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), co-developed by Google with industry leaders including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Walmart and Target.
- More than 20 retailers, platforms and payment companies endorse the protocol, including Home Depot, Best Buy, Macy's, Mastercard and Visa.
- The new standard is designed to help AI tools move shoppers from "I'm interested" to "I've bought it" without forcing them to jump between apps, websites or checkout systems.
Zoom in: Google says UCP will soon power shopping inside AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, letting people buy without leaving the conversation.
- Similar setups are planned with other AI tools, including Microsoft's Copilot.
State of play: This is part of a broader push toward what companies call agentic commerce — where AI doesn't just suggest products, but actually helps complete the task of checking out.
- Retailers say checkout is the most fragile part of shopping because stores have different rules for payments, returns, loyalty points and delivery — the kind of friction that often causes shoppers to abandon carts.
- "Roadblocks are costing retailers a lot of money, because billions of dollars are left in carts every year," Vidhya Srinivasan, Google vice president and general manager of ads and commerce, said during a media briefing.
Yes, but: Tech, retail and finance companies are hoping AI can make purchases more frictionless, but consumer adoption still lags.
- A ChannelEngine study of 4,500 shoppers found that only 17% feel comfortable letting AI complete a purchase, even as many consumers already use AI to research products.
The bottom line: AI is evolving into a powerful shopping assistant — but turning it into a trusted buyer will take time, clearer standards and smoother checkout experiences.
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