EC & AI Commerce News Digest (March 25, 2026)

Top Stories

Gap Launches AI Checkout Inside Google Gemini — A First for a Major Fashion Company

Gap says it will launch checkout within Google's Gemini, in an AI first from a major fashion company

Gap's partnership with Gemini and its customer-facing AI tools give it a competitive edge at a time when winning in specialty retail is harder than ever.

Gap Inc. announced it will launch an AI checkout feature on Google Gemini that enables browsing through purchase completion. This marks the first time a major fashion company has enabled direct purchasing within an AI assistant.

The company is simultaneously testing an AI sizing tool through a partnership with Bold Metrics. The "agentic fit guidance," where AI recommends optimal sizes based on customer body data, is notable as an attempt to solve the high return rate challenge specific to apparel e-commerce.

Coming right after OpenAI announced the pause of Instant Checkout, Gap's move to advance AI commerce through its Google partnership signals that agentic commerce implementation has entered the inter-platform competition stage.

Full article: Gap Launches AI Checkout on Google Gemini — First Major Fashion Brand to Go All-In on Agentic Commerce

Shopify Enables Millions of Merchants to Sell via AI Chat — Full-Scale Agentic Commerce Rollout

Millions of merchants can sell in AI chats

Agentic Storefronts give merchants out-of-the-box access to major AI channels—ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, AI Mode in Google Search, and the Gemini app—managed centrally from the Shopify Admin.

Shopify announced that through Agentic Storefronts, millions of merchants will be able to sell products on ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, AI Mode in Google Search, and the Gemini app. The system is managed centrally from the Shopify Admin.

Also named to Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies of 2026" in the retail category, Shopify positions agentic commerce as a "gold rush" and is accelerating its full-scale response. The key benefit for small and medium merchants is the ability to connect to major AI channels through Shopify without needing to build individual API integrations for each AI platform.

Full article: Shopify Launches Agentic Storefronts, Connecting Millions of Stores to ChatGPT and Gemini

Agentic Commerce

Mastercard Completes World's First Live Agentic Payment in South Korea

Mastercard Completes Korea's First Live Agentic Transactions, Unlocking Trusted AI-Powered Commerce

Mastercard completes Korea's first live agentic transactions unlocking trusted AI-powered commerce.

Mastercard completed the world's first live agentic payment on South Korean fashion e-commerce platform "Musinsa." The system enables AI agents to automatically handle everything from product selection to payment on behalf of consumers.

The company leverages tokenization technology to build a trust layer that allows AI agents to complete payments securely without directly handling card information. As a concrete implementation of payment infrastructure in agentic commerce through Mastercard Agent Suite, this represents a significant milestone for the entire industry.

Firmly Connect — The First No-Code Agentic Commerce Platform

Firmly Launches Firmly Connect, the First Agentic Commerce Platform

Firmly Launches Firmly Connect, the first agentic commerce platform that allows merchants to directly connect to any agent or agentic marketing channel...

Firmly launched "Firmly Connect," a platform that allows merchants to connect to any AI agent or agentic marketing channel without writing a single line of code.

In an era where AI agents recommend and purchase products, it is impractical for individual merchants to build separate integrations for every AI channel. Firmly Connect functions as an infrastructure layer that solves this challenge, with the potential to accelerate the adoption of agentic commerce.

Full article: Firmly Launches "Firmly Connect" for No-Code AI Agent Sales — Dramatically Lowering the Barrier to Agentic Commerce

OpenAI Pivots ChatGPT Shopping Experience Toward Product Discovery

OpenAI revamps shopping experience in ChatGPT after struggling with Instant Checkout offering

OpenAI said the new experience will make it easier for users to find and compare products.

Following the pause of its Instant Checkout feature, OpenAI has pivoted ChatGPT's shopping experience to focus on product discovery and comparison. CNBC and TechCrunch reported the details.

It was also revealed that Walmart declined to participate in ChatGPT's instant checkout integration. Direct payments within AI assistants face high technical and business hurdles, making the strategic pivot to focus first on improving product discovery and recommendation accuracy a pragmatic move.

80% of Acquirers Declare Readiness for Agentic Commerce, but Merchants Lag Behind

Acquirers Say Risk and Readiness Are Slowing Agentic Commerce

How Acquirers Prepare for Agentic Commerce examines how acquirers are preparing for the next phase of digital commerce as AI-powered agents take on a role.

According to a PYMNTS research report, while 80% of payment acquirers are preparing for agentic commerce, merchant-side readiness lags behind.

Risk management and technical preparedness are cited as the main challenges. While payment infrastructure is making steady progress, actual adoption requires merchant system readiness and consumer trust building, meaning a phased process is necessary for widespread adoption.

Shoptalk Spring 2026 Opens — Day 1 Focuses on Agentic Commerce and AI Personalization

Shoptalk Spring 2026: Day 1—Agentic Commerce and AI-Driven Personalization

The morning sessions of Shoptalk Spring 2026 marked a structural shift toward proactive, intent-driven agentic experiences.

The retail industry's largest conference, Shoptalk Spring 2026, has opened. Day 1 sessions focused on agentic commerce, AI-driven personalization, retail media innovation, and omnichannel data utilization as key themes.

According to Coresight Research's coverage, morning sessions emphasized "the structural shift from passive search to proactive agentic experiences." The industry-wide consensus that AI agents are positioned at the center of commerce was reaffirmed.

Botify Launches "Agentic Feeds" for AI Commerce

Botify Launches Agentic Feeds to Power the Shift from Search to Agent-Driven Discovery

Botify, the leading platform for AI discoverability and agentic commerce, today announced the launch of Agentic Feeds.

SEO platform Botify announced "Agentic Feeds," a new feature that helps brands be discovered not only by search engines but also by AI agents.

Beyond traditional SEO optimization, the system provides feeds in formats that AI agents can easily retrieve and understand product information. As the paradigm shifts from search to AI agent-driven discovery, it is positioned as a new infrastructure tool for ensuring brands' "AI visibility."

AI Commerce Tools

Google Commerce Media Suite — New Ad Product Combining Retailer Insights with YouTube

Google's Commerce Media Suite: Where retailer insights meet the power of YouTube

Supercharge performance across the full customer journey by connecting Kroger's shopper insights with Google's AI and scale.

Google announced "Commerce Media Suite," launching a new advertising product that combines retailers' first-party purchase data with Google AI's ad delivery capabilities.

As the first partner, Kroger (a major US grocery chain) connects its shopper insights with YouTube advertising to drive performance improvement across the entire purchase funnel. This signals Google's full-scale entry into the retail media market and is notable as a move to compete with Amazon Ads.

Full article: Google "Commerce Media Suite" Welcomes Kroger — Retailer Purchase Data Meets YouTube to Transform Advertising

Constructor Unveils AI Agent "MIA" for E-Commerce

Constructor Unveils Merchant Intelligence Agent (MIA)

Constructor, the leading AI-powered search and product discovery platform for ecommerce companies, today unveiled Merchant Intelligence Agent.

Constructor, a product search and discovery platform for e-commerce, unveiled "Merchant Intelligence Agent (MIA)" at Shoptalk 2026. It is an AI agent that automates and accelerates merchandising operations.

MIA instantly processes tasks such as data analysis and product placement optimization, supporting merchandiser decision-making. As an AI agent application for e-commerce operations, its B2B value proposition — distinct from consumer-facing use cases — is its defining feature.

Industry Developments & Partnerships

Meta Significantly Enhances Instagram Shopping — Creator Commissions + In-Ad Buy Button

Meta goes deeper into shopping, tests creator commissions on Instagram and new buy button within ads

Meta has a new buy now button for users to buy items once they've clicked on an ad.

Meta revealed it is testing a system where creators can earn commissions from product sales on Instagram, along with a new feature that embeds purchase buttons directly within ads.

This move further advances the convergence of the creator economy and commerce. The "Buy Now" button, which allows users to complete purchases on the spot after viewing an ad, dramatically reduces the steps to conversion. It is notable as a strategy to compete with TikTok Shop in the social commerce space.

Full article: Meta Significantly Enhances Shopping on Instagram and Facebook — Introducing Creator Commissions and In-Ad "Buy Now" Buttons

Bazaarvoice Announces TikTok Shop Integration — Review Syndication

Bazaarvoice integrates with TikTok Shop to provide syndicated reviews

Bazaarvoice clients can now utilize the seamless, automated integration that allows brands to leverage their existing social proof on TikTok Shop.

UGC review platform Bazaarvoice announced its integration with TikTok Shop. Brands can now automatically syndicate their existing product reviews to TikTok Shop.

With TikTok Shop's rapid growth, building trust (social proof) in social commerce has been a challenge. Bazaarvoice's integration allows brands to leverage existing assets without collecting new reviews.

MercadoLibre Announces $11B Investment in Brazil — Up 50% Year-over-Year

MercadoLibre to invest $11 billion in Brazil this year

E-commerce firm MercadoLibre will invest 57 billion reais ($10.9 billion) in its main market Brazil this year, up 50% from 2025.

MercadoLibre, Latin America's largest e-commerce company, announced it will invest 57 billion reais (approximately $10.9 billion) in Brazil in 2026. This represents a 50% increase year-over-year.

Key investment areas include logistics infrastructure expansion, fintech operations (Mercado Pago) enhancement, and AI adoption acceleration. These figures reaffirm the significant growth potential of the Brazilian e-commerce market, with Latin America's presence in the global e-commerce landscape continuing to grow.

Logistics & Fulfillment

FedEx Enters Same-Day Delivery Market — Challenging Amazon, Walmart, and UPS

FedEx to compete in same-day delivery with Amazon, Walmart and UPS

FedEx is launching same-day delivery through a partnership with OneRail, a final-mile platform.

FedEx announced it will launch same-day delivery services through a partnership with OneRail, a last-mile delivery platform. This marks its full entry into the same-day delivery market where Amazon, Walmart, and UPS already operate.

As agentic commerce spreads, an era where AI agents select optimal delivery options on behalf of consumers is approaching. Same-day delivery is a critical competitive differentiator, and FedEx's entry will further accelerate the delivery speed competition across the logistics industry.

Amazon Pressures Other Retailers with 1-Hour and 3-Hour Delivery

Amazon pressures Walmart, other retailers with one-hour delivery

Amazon is getting even faster with new one-hour and three-hour delivery offerings, posing a threat to Walmart and other big-box retailers.

Amazon is rolling out ultra-fast 1-hour and 3-hour delivery across more than 2,000 cities, putting pressure on major retailers including Walmart through delivery speed.

As "delivery speed" becomes a core competitive axis of the shopping experience, Amazon's logistics infrastructure investments are materializing into concrete services. For small and mid-sized retailers, securing countermeasures such as Shopify's delivery network and FedEx's same-day delivery is becoming increasingly critical.

Summary

Today's news clearly shows that agentic commerce has shifted from the "concept stage" to the "implementation and operation stage." Gap has enabled checkout within Google Gemini, Shopify is connecting millions of merchants to AI channels, and Mastercard has completed live payments in South Korea — concrete implementations are advancing across every layer of the value chain.

However, as OpenAI's Instant Checkout pause and the PYMNTS survey indicate, challenges remain in risk management and merchant-side readiness. Discussion around this balance of "implementation and challenges" is expected to continue throughout the remaining sessions of Shoptalk 2026.

On the logistics front, FedEx's entry into same-day delivery and Amazon's ultra-fast delivery expansion are further intensifying the delivery speed competition. The picture is becoming clear: the combination of agentic commerce and high-speed logistics will be the key to e-commerce competitiveness going forward.