The landscape of e-commerce is undergoing a profound transformation, shifting from a battle for shopper attention to a more fundamental competition to control the very artificial intelligence (AI) through which consumers will increasingly conduct their purchases. This evolving dynamic signals a new era where the interface and intelligence guiding the shopping experience become as crucial as the products themselves. The concept of vying for customer proxies is not new; the long-standing practice of search engine optimization (SEO) demonstrates this, where businesses invest heavily to appear prominently in search engine results, leveraging the search engine as a gateway to potential buyers. Now, a similar pursuit is emerging within the realm of generative AI, with "generative engine optimization" aiming for visibility, while a deeper layer of AI-driven commerce takes shape.
The Rise of Commerce Agents
A significant development in this burgeoning field occurred on September 2, when Anthropic, a leading AI safety and research company, unveiled its comprehensive guide, "Building Commerce Agents with Claude." This release offers a collection of software patterns, essential "guardrails," and practical implementations designed to empower companies to develop sophisticated AI agents specifically for the retail sector and other commerce-related applications. The blueprint provides a tangible vision for this future, illustrated through two distinct agent examples.
The Consumer-Facing Shopping Agent
The first example showcases a consumer-facing shopping agent designed to be integrated directly onto a retailer’s website or mobile application. This agent acts as a personalized virtual assistant, seamlessly connecting with the store’s product catalog, checkout systems, and other vital backend services. Anthropic illustrates its functionality with a compelling scenario: a shopper could articulate their needs, such as planning a weekend camping trip for two children requiring a tent, sleeping bag, and stove. The AI agent would then intelligently scour the retailer’s inventory, identify compatible items, conduct product comparisons based on various criteria, and add suitable selections to the customer’s shopping cart. Crucially, this process would be informed by the shopper’s stated preferences and their historical purchasing data, offering a highly personalized and efficient shopping experience.
Beyond the initial purchase, the utility of this shopping agent extends into post-sale customer service. It can adeptly handle inquiries regarding delivery status, return policies, exchange procedures, and refund processes, providing immediate and consistent support. Anthropic has reported significant positive outcomes from retailers currently piloting these shopping agents, claiming a remarkable 35% increase in average order value and a substantial 60% improvement in conversion rates. These impressive figures are noteworthy, especially considering that many large-scale enterprises have already implemented similar AI-powered agent solutions.
The Merchant Agent: Streamlining Operations
Anthropic’s second illustrative agent example focuses on the internal operations of a retail business, working behind the scenes to optimize various aspects of store management. A retail e-commerce manager, for instance, could leverage this "merchant agent" to identify products suitable for discounting to efficiently clear out old inventory and improve cash flow. The agent would possess the capability to analyze real-time inventory levels, monitor product sales velocity, recommend strategic price adjustments, and even generate preliminary marketing campaign drafts to support these initiatives.
To ensure responsible implementation and prevent unintended consequences, the blueprint incorporates robust "guardrails" that mandate human approval before the merchant agent can execute any significant changes to pricing, inventory, or marketing strategies. While similar merchant-facing AI agents are already integrated into some e-commerce platforms, Anthropic’s detailed blueprint is expected to simplify the development and deployment of custom, tailored solutions for businesses seeking greater control and flexibility.
The Growing Demand for AI in Shopping
Anthropic’s proactive announcement aligns with a discernible shift in consumer behavior, indicating a growing willingness among shoppers to engage with AI throughout their purchasing journey. This trend is particularly evident in projections for the upcoming 2026 holiday shopping season.
A survey commissioned by Bain & Company, a strategic partner of Anthropic, offers compelling data. Conducted in August and involving 1,105 U.S. shoppers, the study, which informs Bain’s 2026 holiday outlook, revealed that 24% of online buyers plan to initiate their holiday shopping on AI-powered platforms such as Claude, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT. This represents a notable increase from the 17% observed in 2025.
Concurrently, the survey indicated that approximately 60% of respondents intend to begin their shopping on retail or brand-specific websites, an upward trend from 51% the previous year. These two findings, while seemingly distinct, are not mutually exclusive and highlight a multifaceted consumer approach.
It is plausible that some shoppers will utilize external AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini to discover gift ideas and product recommendations before proceeding to individual merchant sites. Conversely, other consumers may opt to bypass external AI platforms altogether and engage directly with a retailer’s proprietary AI agent upon visiting their website, utilizing conversational interfaces instead of traditional search bars or navigation menus. Furthermore, a segment of shoppers might fluidly employ both an external AI platform for initial research and an on-site merchant agent for a more targeted and personalized purchase experience.
Two Emerging Models for AI Commerce
Bain & Company’s research further delineates two distinct and increasingly prevalent models for AI-driven commerce:
Model 1: External AI Platform as the Intermediary
In the first model, an external AI platform assumes ownership of the direct customer relationship and the primary shopping interface. Platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or other advanced AI assistants act as aggregators, sourcing products from a multitude of sellers and facilitating the transaction process without requiring the shopper to leave the AI environment.
This model can be visualized as: Shopper → AI Platform → Merchant.
OpenAI has been a key innovator in this space. In 2025, they introduced "Instant Checkout with Stripe" and the Agentic Commerce Protocol, enabling supported purchases to be completed directly within ChatGPT, thereby minimizing friction and maintaining user engagement within their ecosystem.
Google has pursued a parallel strategy with its "Universal Commerce Protocol." Developed in collaboration with prominent e-commerce players such as Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart, this protocol aims to bridge AI-powered shopping experiences with existing merchant infrastructure and payment systems, fostering a more interconnected digital marketplace.
Model 2: Merchant-Centric AI as the Primary Interface
The second agentic shopping model strategically places the merchant at the core of the customer interaction. This approach is significantly bolstered by Anthropic’s "Building Commerce Agents with Claude" blueprint, which aims to make this model more accessible and practical for retailers.
This model can be visualized as: Shopper → Merchant’s AI → Merchant.
Through this framework, retailers can offer sophisticated conversational product discovery and personalized recommendations while retaining direct control over their product catalog, checkout processes, customer relationships, and overall brand experience. This allows businesses to cultivate a deeper connection with their clientele, leveraging AI as an extension of their brand rather than an external intermediary.
The current trajectory of the e-commerce industry suggests a clear and unfolding race to "own" the AI through which customers navigate and complete their purchases. This ownership can manifest in different ways, either by hosting the primary AI interface or by developing a superior AI experience that draws customers directly to the merchant’s platform.
The Enduring Importance of Customer Relationships
As the industry progressively constructs an "agentic AI commerce stack," characterized by these emerging models, the significance of direct customer relationships is poised to intensify. Merchants that prioritize understanding their customers, actively collect and leverage first-party data, and maintain robust direct communication channels—such as email newsletters, loyalty programs, and engaging on-site experiences—will likely find themselves in a stronger competitive position. This strategic advantage will prove invaluable, irrespective of whether shoppers initially engage with an external AI platform or opt to utilize the merchant’s own AI-powered agent.
The evolving AI commerce landscape underscores a fundamental truth: while technology facilitates transactions, the enduring value lies in the connection between brands and their customers. As AI agents become more sophisticated and integrated into the shopping journey, the ability of merchants to foster genuine relationships, built on trust and personalized engagement, will be the ultimate differentiator. This human element, amplified by intelligent technology, promises to define the future of retail.
