A new era of AI shopping in retail. Get to know Google’s tools for agentic commerce

At the National Retail Federation (NRF) 2026 trade show, Google presented artificial intelligence-based solutions that could change the retail landscape. The American giant is introducing an innovative open standard for AI agents to work with sales platforms, along with a set of AI tools to help retailers reach customers more effectively and boost online sales.

The pace of technological change in the retail industry is breathtaking. The concept of agentic commerce – a shopping model in which a special agent using AI algorithms performs tasks for the customer while shopping online – seemed like a vision of the future not so long ago, but today it is becoming a reality. Google believes that the future of agentic commerce should be based on cooperation between all market participants. In partnership with leading retailers and sales platforms, it has developed several innovative AI-based solutions, which should be an important step towards realising this vision. These include:

• Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) – an open standard that facilitates cooperation between AI agents and sales systems at every stage of the customer’s shopping journey.
• Business Agent – a virtual customer advisor in Google search that allows consumers to chat with brands and get answers to questions about products.
• Direct Offers in Google Ads is a feature that uses AI to offer customers who are close to making a purchase decision exclusive, personalized discounts to help them finalise their purchase.

– Agentic commerce represents a new phase in the evolution of retail, in which artificial intelligence is no longer just an add-on, but becomes an autonomous entity capable of performing tasks on behalf of the user. An important element of this transformation may be the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard that enables AI agents to integrate with sales platforms and payment systems, says Anna Schabikowska, Marketing Director and Advisor to the Management Board of Exorigo-Upos.

What is the Universal Commerce Protocol and how does it help retailers?

The Universal Commerce Protocol is a new open standard that facilitates the consistent operation of AI agents and sales systems at every stage of the shopping journey – from product search to transaction to after-sales service. UCP establishes a common language for data exchange, enabling different platforms, agents, and payment providers to communicate more easily. Instead of building a separate integration for each agent, retailers use a single, universal solution to simplify implementation.

UCP will soon be used to launch a new purchase-completion feature in Google’s AI search engine and Gemini app, allowing customers to complete transactions directly while chatting with an AI assistant, using payment methods stored in Google Wallet. The simplified process should reduce abandoned shopping carts. Initially, UCP will be available only in the USA, but Google has announced plans to expand its reach to other regions and add features such as complementary product search and personalized shopping experiences.

How does Business Agent work, and how does it connect customers with brands?

Another new feature is Business Agent – a virtual advisor that lets customers chat with a brand directly in Google Search. It works like a virtual sales consultant: it answers product questions in the search window, using the company’s knowledge and communication style. This allows retailers to interact with customers at the critical moment of decision-making and more effectively lead to the finalisation of a purchase.

Business Agent is currently being piloted in the US. Soon, retailers will be able to train their agents based on their own data and even allow customers to finalise their purchase in the chat window – this means that users will not only get an answer to their question, but will also be able to purchase the product immediately during the conversation with the virtual advisor.

How to increase product visibility in the era of conversational commerce?

Google also announced the expansion of product data in the Merchant Centre to make it easier for shops to highlight their offers in the era of conversational commerce. Shops will be able to enrich product descriptions with information that goes beyond keywords – for example, answers to frequently asked questions, lists of compatible accessories or suggested replacements.

When a user asks an AI question (in a search engine or through Business Agent), the system will use this data to match results more accurately, giving the seller’s offer a better chance of being noticed, even for unusual queries. The new attributes will initially be available to a small group of retailers, but Google plans to make them available to a wider range over time.

Direct Offers – how do exclusive offers work in AI mode?

The latest AI innovation for retail from Google is the Direct Offers feature – special promotions presented in AI mode search results. They allow you to present exclusive discounts directly in AI conversational search to customers who are close to making a purchase decision.

AI mode in Google search displays offers for specific products to people with a strong purchase intent. The Direct Offers feature allows you to present an exclusive discount at the moment of purchase. This increases the product’s value in the customer’s eyes and helps close the sale directly in AI mode.

The retailer sets a discount in a Google Ads campaign, and AI algorithms select the optimal moment to display it – so that it reaches the right person at the right time. Currently, the pilot programme covers discounts, but plans are underway to add other purchase incentives.

– Our experience as a technology provider for the retail sector shows that retailers need precisely such open, integrated solutions – emphasises Anna Schabikowska. – AI-based tools, such as the UCP protocol or virtual advisors such as Business Agent, allow for faster implementation of innovations and provide customers with a better shopping experience, which translates into customer loyalty and increased sales.

Summary

Google’s innovative solutions – UCP, Business Agent, and Direct Offers – demonstrate that the shopping experience of the future will be driven by AI and that their development is guided by open standards and industry partnerships. Google has announced further improvements to these solutions and invites entrepreneurs to join in building a new shopping reality – a signal to retailers that now is the time to work with partners such as us to adopt AI-based solutions, stay ahead of the competition, and offer customers a more convenient shopping experience.

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