Google Launches AI Agents for Retailers to Boost Conversational Commerce

Google is transforming online shopping with new AI-powered tools designed to help retailers capitalize on the rise of conversational commerce. Announced at the National Retail Federation conference this week, these features represent a fundamental shift in how customers discover and purchase products online. Rather than browsing through pages of search results, shoppers can now engage in natural conversations with AI to find exactly what they’re looking for.

Building Custom AI Shopping Assistants

At the core of Google’s announcement is Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, a platform enabling retailers to build their own catalog-specific AI agents powered by advanced Gemini models. These agents go beyond simple chatbots—they can independently plan, reason, and act on behalf of customers while remaining under retailer supervision. Deployed in days rather than months, these AI tools can manage the entire customer journey from product discovery to post-purchase support, helping retailers capture sales and reduce cart abandonment.

Seamless Shopping Through Universal Commerce Protocol

Google is also rolling out its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which enables direct purchasing within chatbot experiences. The protocol allows customers to discover and buy items in a single interaction, eliminating the need to navigate between different systems. Powered by Google Pay and soon PayPal integration, shoppers can complete transactions using saved payment and shipping information from Google Wallet. The company is initially launching UCP in the U.S., with expanded rollout planned globally.

Google is also expanding delivery partnerships and testing new ad formats like Direct Offers, which let retailers provide discounts within AI chats. As conversational AI becomes mainstream, retailers may need to adopt these AI agents to remain competitive in modern e-commerce.