Retail has entered a new phase: AI agents will not only help customers discover products, but will also be able to actively participate in the purchasing process. Brands need to prepare to establish a presence in this new environment.

For years, commerce has been built around one idea: bringing consumers to a physical or digital store and making it easy for them to complete their purchase there. But the ways people discover products and engage with brands are multiplying. Conversations with artificial intelligence are one of the new channels where purchase intent is beginning to emerge.

This is what we refer to as “agent-based commerce”: experiences in which AI agents can help consumers discover products, compare alternatives, resolve questions, and move toward a purchase. For retailers, this represents a significant shift: it’s no longer enough to have a good storefront; their products, data, and business logic must be ready to be understood and utilized by these new digital intermediaries.

The issue, therefore, is not simply how to incorporate AI into commerce, but how to prepare the underlying infrastructure. An agent needs accurate information about products, availability, prices, policies, orders, and purchase terms in order to provide a reliable experience. It also needs to be able to interact with commerce systems so that a recommendation can be turned into an action when appropriate.

On Shopify, this evolution is reflected in new capabilities such as Agentic Storefronts, which allow merchants to manage and sell their products on AI platforms like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Mode, and Gemini. From the Shopify Admin, merchants can also view performance data for these channels, identify conversion opportunities, and detect information gaps that may affect their results.

But preparing for agent-based commerce does not mean abandoning existing channels. On the contrary: it means building a commerce infrastructure that is robust and interconnected enough to enable a brand to deliver a consistent experience wherever consumer interaction occurs.

The next generation of commerce will not have a single point of entry. It will have many entry points, and in some cases, AI agents themselves will help guide customers through the journey to purchase. Brands that begin now to prepare their data, operations, and infrastructure will be better positioned to take advantage of this new era of digital commerce.