Google is officially entering the race for purpose-built retail AI, signaling a major shift in how brands interact with consumers.
The search giant has unveiled a suite of tools designed to help retailers deploy sophisticated AI agents, aiming to streamline the customer journey as agentic commerce begins to take hold.
The new retail-centric tools are part of a broader offering titled Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience. The agents are designed to assist shoppers in locating products, providing real-time customer support, and even facilitating food orders at restaurants.
The move comes as major industry players prepare for a future where AI agents, rather than human-led searches, dictate the shopping experience.
The Rise of Agentic Commerce
While AI agents—independent bots capable of taking action on behalf of humans—are still in their infancy, they are rapidly becoming a primary medium for digital transactions. Tech giants are already jockeying for position; OpenAI launched its “Instant Checkout” for ChatGPT last fall, followed by a similar feature for Microsoft Copilot in January.
Agentic Commerce in Action
Home improvement giant Lowe’s has integrated Google’s technology to power its virtual shopping assistant, Mylow. By using these AI agents as back-end infrastructure, Lowe’s is moving beyond simple search queries to provide a more interactive, guided CX.
Grocery store Kroger is currently testing a sophisticated shopping agent within its mobile app. This agent doesn’t just find products; it understands the nuances of a customer’s life, such as dietary preferences and schedule constraints.
The Human Element Remains
AI hallucination is perhaps the single greatest hurdle to widespread adoption of agentic commerce. In AI terms, a hallucination occurs when a Large Language Model (LLM) generates information that is factually incorrect but presented with absolute confidence. For this reason, industry leaders suggest that traditional CX channels aren’t disappearing just yet.