The Role of AI in E-Commerce Future

I built my first Agentic Commerce startup before LLMs existed at scale.  I’ve been tracking the agentic commerce & payments space closely now and there's some interesting stuff happening right now. The big players are going in different directions. Shopify is doubling down on their Sidekick AI for merchant automation. Amazon is quietly building out their fulfillment agents behind the scenes. And then you have newer companies focusing specifically on customer service automation for e-commerce. But here's what I'm seeing as the real trend: it's not just about chatbots anymore. The companies that are winning are building agents that can actually take actions - process returns, update inventory, coordinate with suppliers, even make purchasing decisions within set parameters. The most interesting work is happening in the mid-market space. Small businesses can't afford custom solutions, and enterprise has their own teams. But mid-market retailers are perfect for these agentic commerce tools. I'm seeing three main categories emerging: 1) Customer service agents that can actually resolve issues (not just answer questions) 2) Inventory management agents that predict and auto-reorder stock 3) Marketing agents that can adjust campaigns based on real-time performance data Here are some other patterns I’m seeing that are using AI across entire customer journey: Product Discovery: AI agents are now scanning millions of product reviews, social mentions, and search trends to predict what customers want before they know it themselves. Dynamic Pricing: Gone are the days of static price tags. AI is analyzing competitor pricing, inventory levels, demand patterns, and customer behavior in real-time. e-commerce sites are updating prices thousands of times per day. Fraud Detection: Traditional rule-based systems caught maybe 50-60% of fraudulent transactions. Modern AI systems are hitting 85%+ accuracy while reducing false positives that frustrate legitimate customers. Payment Optimization: AI is figuring out which payment method to suggest to each customer, when to retry failed payments, and how to route transactions for the lowest fees and highest success rates. Customer Support: Payment issues used to require human agents. Now AI can resolve 80% of payment disputes, refund requests, and billing questions without human intervention. The companies moving fast on this are seeing dramatic improvements in conversion rates, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. The ones waiting will be falling behind quickly.

OpenAI Just Fired the Next Shot in the E-commerce War ChatGPT is about to become more than just your AI assistant; it's evolving into a full marketplace competitor that could reshape how we shop online. Here's what's happening: • OpenAI is developing native checkout functionality within ChatGPT • Users will complete entire transactions WITHOUT leaving the chat interface • OpenAI takes a commission on each sale (reportedly <5% vs Amazon's ~15%) • Shopify is powering the backend infrastructure Who cares? ✅ For Consumers: Seamless shopping through conversation—ask, discover, buy, done. ✅ For Merchants: Lower fees than traditional marketplaces + AI-powered discovery ✅ For the Industry: Another seismic shift in how we think about search, discovery, and transactions The bigger picture: This isn't just about shopping, it's about AI platforms becoming the new retail real estate. Just like we optimized for Google SEO, brands will now need to master "AIO" (AI Optimization) to appear in ChatGPT recommendations. We're watching the birth of conversational commerce at scale. Amazon built an empire on search and logistics. OpenAI is betting on conversation and AI curation. The question isn't whether this will disrupt e-commerce, it's how quickly traditional players will adapt. What's your take? Are we ready for AI-first shopping experiences? H/T to Austin Jones and the team at Cleveland Research Company for the excellent analysis on this development.

AI is officially becoming the new storefront. Rumor has it that #OpenAI is rolling out a partnership with #Shopify, allowing users to browse, compare, and buy products directly inside #ChatGPT without ever leaving the chat. And this is just the start. Microsoft #Copilot, #Perplexity, and a growing list of #AI platforms are racing to build similar shopping experiences. And while the ChatGPT x Shopify partnership is big news, it’s part of something much bigger. AI Agents are expected to influence or execute $30 trillion in annual purchases over the next five years. AI is reshaping not just how people search but also how they compare, decide, and buy - the entire path to purchase. As more of the customer journey happens inside AI platforms, the role of the traditional website will change. It’s no longer the starting point. In many cases, it won’t even be the final destination. For marketers, this means you need to start treating your websites as content libraries for LLM ingestion AND consumer destinations simultaneously.

The next wave of eCommerce isn’t a channel shift—it’s a mindset shift It’s not about adding more SKUs. It’s about deploying agents to do the work for you. And Amazon just showed us what that future looks like. Here’s the quiet rollout everyone should be watching: Amazon’s “Buy for Me” feature just launched. No commission. No inventory risk. No need to leave the app. Just AI agents shopping on your behalf—across Amazon and 3P sites. This isn’t a feature drop. It’s a signal: The shopping journey no longer ends with Amazon—it starts with Amazon’s agent. Let’s break it down for the kids in the back.. The Old Way of Thinking Consumers browse → compare → check out. Retailers fight for the last click. The New Playbook AI agents collapse that path. They find, compare, and transact for the user. Amazon is becoming the AI operating system for commerce—not just the store. Why it matters: (3) 1️⃣ AI is the new interface – It’s not just ChatGPT. It’s commerce. 2️⃣ This expands reach without SKU risk – Amazon grows without holding inventory. 3️⃣ It positions Amazon as the most valuable first step – Because the agent starts there. What I’d do if I were a brand: (3) → Design (A/B test) your PDPs and product content for AI agents, not humans. → Don’t obsess over last-click. Obsess over first-query. → Rethink what “distribution” means in a world where AI does the browsing. This is the beginning of agentic commerce. It’s early 2025 (April). We’re just getting started. Ways to reach us: Pattern® (eCommerce accelerator) The CPG View (podcast) The Retail eCommerce Club (community) The eFramework (eCommerce MBA) Subscribe to The Retail Media View: 👇🏼 https://lnkd.in/etsfcm-S #amazon #aiagents #ecommerce #retailmedia #digitaltransformation #cpg #shoppinginnovation #retailtech #pattern #retailecommerceclub

Visa 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 — Enabling AI agents to buy securely and seamlessly 👇 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 (#VIC) ► Visa Intelligent Commerce is an 𝐀𝐈-𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 that enables autonomous agents — from voice assistants to bots and AI applications — to initiate, authenticate, and complete purchases on behalf of a user. ► It’s 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 by combining secure  𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬, real-time authorization rules, and contextual decision-making APIs across Visa’s global network. — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 ► From OpenAI's ChatGPT to Google Gemini to Amazon Alexa, AI agents are becoming embedded in consumer journeys — from search to checkout. ► Visa estimates that billions of micro-transactions in the future will be triggered not by humans, but by autonomous digital agents acting on their behalf. — 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞: ✔ 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬 → Each agent receives a unique, limited-use token that restricts where and how it can be used. Think: one token per AI model, per context, per device. ✔ 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 → Merchants and banks can define smart rules for when and how a payment is approved (e.g. time of day, spending limit, merchant category). ✔ 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐫-𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 → Transactions adapt in real-time to users’ preferences and AI-agent context, creating frictionless and intelligent buying experiences. ✔ 𝐔𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → Combines Visa’s tokenization, 3DS, and real-time AI fraud checks — ensuring each agent-initiated payment is authenticated and legitimate. This will evolve with PassKeys and Biometrics. — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 — 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 The next wave of commerce will be agent-first—automated, embedded, and invisible. Visa Intelligent Commerce is building the rails for that future: where AI agents shop, book, subscribe, and pay on your behalf, securely and intelligently. — 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐔𝐩 🚨 → Deep dive into Visa Intelligent Commerce APIs, Agent Enablement, and Developer Use Cases. Stay tuned! — Source: Visa ► Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gQgSAtgJ ► Developer docs: https://lnkd.in/g2qszzFB ► Sign up to 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐬 ☕: https://lnkd.in/g5cDhnjC ► Connecting the dots in payments... and Marcel van Oost

AI is becoming the new storefront, and most brands aren't prepared. Soon, your next customer might never visit your website. They'll shop through AI. This represents a significant departure from the status quo, which has been in place for two decades. Previously, digital commerce has primarily focused on optimizing for Google and creating a compelling website. AI is completely breaking this model. AI tools are becoming the new "head" for shopping discovery and, increasingly, purchase completion. You may even find orders from AI platforms being piped directly into your systems, with someone sitting on the AI side. Order capture is changing. To keep up, brands need backend systems that are just as dynamic as their eCommerce stack. That means infrastructure built to: 1. Connect with emerging AI-driven purchasing channels 2. Serve up product data in formats machines can read 3. Handle orders from brand-new entry points 4. Keep inventory perfectly in sync across all of it The operational implications are huge. You can’t rely on systems built for outdated checkout flows. You need infrastructure that’s agile, API-friendly, and ready for the dynamic nature of modern commerce. Is your operations framework AI-ready?

OpenAI’s just announced Operator signals the potential for a big shift in #ecommerce for platforms and agencies. Supporting agentic AI will require more than just minor adjustments. Based on the very fresh news, here's my gut instinct on how Shopify, BigCommerce, and #developers can adapt: - Streamline site navigation to ensure agentic AI can complete tasks without errors or confusion. - Optimize structured data, like schema markup, so AI understands product details and site content clearly. - Build plugins and tools that enhance compatibility with agentic AI, giving your platform a competitive edge. - Include safeguards for sensitive actions, like payments or logins, to balance automation with user control. For agencies and developers: - Test site functionality specifically for how agentic AI navigates and interacts with key pages. - A/B test site layouts, product displays, and checkout flows to see where #AI struggles and improve performance. - Develop solutions to handle errors caused by AI behavior without disrupting the shopping experience. - Ensure seamless cross-platform usability, as AI isn’t likely to stick to one type of device or browser. - Track and analyze AI-driven interactions to monitor performance and find opportunities for improvement. - Expect agentic AIs to solve old problems (accessibility?) and create new ones. Stay nimble! The future of ecommerce is here, and AI will be key in driving it forward. 🛒💡 Businesses that adapt early will thrive as automation reshapes the industry. I'm excited for what Coalition Technologies will create for these new technologies. #ecommerce #AI #UXdesign #digitaltransformation #webdevelopment #futureofshopping

ChatGPT Just Added Shopping. Well, that didn’t take long. OpenAI just announced that ChatGPT is rolling out shopping features including product recommendations, images, reviews, and direct purchase links across fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. (Source: https://lnkd.in/g4jcnun6) This news connects right back to the conversation many of us were having last week around context vs. intent in commerce. Here’s what’s happening: Consumers aren’t "going shopping" in ChatGPT. They’re planning a trip. They’re researching home upgrades. They’re living their lives. And now, when the right moment hits, commerce can quietly enter the conversation. A few quick thoughts: > Context-first commerce is here. Product discovery can happen naturally inside planning, learning, and exploration conversations. > The friction isn’t gone but it’s moving. Trust, shipping, returns still matter. If AI surfaces that information too, then the buying decision becomes a lot less frictionless inside the flow. Shopify and platforms like it will win by being plug-and-play. (Thanks EMARKETER and TechRadar for https://lnkd.in/gQwkMe9T) It’s all about showing up where the decision happens, not forcing the decision to your owned channel. Thought that will still be important. So the big shift? In the future of commerce, intent may not always start with "I want to buy something." It might start with "I’m planning a trip" or "I’m remodeling my kitchen." Context triggers intent. Commerce follows. It's a huge opportunity for brands who are thinking about SEO, content, and discovery from this lens. #AICommerce #ChatGPT #Shopify #FutureOfCommerce #SEO