Earlier at the NRF 2026 National Retail Federation Annual Conference in New York, Google CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled the company's latest strategy in e-commerce, announcing...Entering the era of "Agentic Commerce"Google is attempting to transform the existing online shopping model through AI agents and has launched...A universal protocol called "Universal Commerce Protocol" (UCP).This allows AI to more easily complete the entire process for users across platforms, from product search and price comparison to final checkout.
Say goodbye to pagination hell, AI helps you buy.
Current online shopping experiences often require users to open multiple browser tabs to compare prices, select a product, and then be redirected to a specific website, repeatedly entering their address and credit card information. Google's concept of "agent commerce" aims to eliminate these frictions.
By integrating the "AI Mode" feature in Google Search with the Gemini App, AI will be able to understand users' vague needs (e.g., "Find me a pair of non-slip shoes suitable for rainy days, with a budget of under $100"), and automatically search for inventory and compare specifications across platforms, ultimately completing the purchase directly on the Google interface without needing to be redirected.
UCP: The Common Language of Retail
To realize this vision, Google released a universal protocol called the "Universal Commerce Protocol," an open standard specification developed in collaboration with retail giants such as Shopify, Walmart, and Target.
UCP acts like an "API" for the retail industry, enabling AI to instantly access inventory status, price changes, and logistics information from various stores. Currently, the protocol is supported by payment and retail providers including American Express, Best Buy, Mastercard, Visa, Stripe, and Home Depot. Google emphasizes that this is an open ecosystem that will allow different platforms to connect through this standard.
Business Agent and Direct Offers
In addition to the UCP universal protocol led by Google, Google has also launched the "Business Agent" that allows brands to customize their own.
• Business Agent:Brands (such as Reebok and Lowe's) can train their AI assistants so that when a user searches on Google and asks, "Are these shoes slip-resistant?", the AI will provide an accurate answer using the brand's official tone and database information, and may even recommend related accessories.
• Direct Offers:When AI detects that a user has the intention to buy, it will automatically push exclusive discount codes or offers on the interface, saving the user the time of searching for coupons themselves.
This feature will be launched first in the US market, supporting payments via Google Pay and PayPal, and will be rolled out globally in the coming months.
Emphasizing privacy: Google doesn't act as a market maker.
Regarding concerns about data monopoly, Google emphasized that under the UCP architecture, the actual sellers (Merchant of Record) remain the retailers. Google acts only as a matchmaker and technology provider, and does not monopolize transaction data. Furthermore, all payment verifications are encrypted and tokenized to ensure users have the right to choose and their data is secure.
Analysis of viewpoints
Google plans to redefine the value of "search" in the era of generative AI.
In the past, Google's role in e-commerce was mainly to "drive traffic," directing traffic to Amazon or major brand websites. However, as Amazon has gradually become the first stop for many people searching for products, Google must fight back. Through UCP and the "agent commerce" strategy, Google is trying to keep the "transaction" process on its own interface (such as Google Wallet or Google Pay), transforming itself from a simple information portal into a service portal.
The success of this strategy hinges on the adoption rate of UCP (User-Cost-Based Purchase). If only a few merchants support it, AI cannot provide comprehensive price comparison and purchasing services. However, judging from the initial list of partners including Shopify and Walmart, Google has clearly rallied retail giants outside the Amazon camp, attempting to build an open alliance that can rival Amazon's closed ecosystem. For consumers, if AI can truly eliminate the hassle of filling out forms and automatically find deals, it will be a major leap forward in the online shopping experience.
