Google adds shopping and checkout features in Gemini chatbot

Google has integrated a direct shopping and checkout feature into its Gemini AI chatbot, enabling users to complete online purchases without needing to exit the conversation. The company recently announced the move alongside a broader series of AI initiatives for US-based retailers.

The new feature is powered by the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open technical standard developed by Google in collaboration with partners including Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair, and Target. The protocol is designed to let different AI agents and retail systems interact, enabling a seamless checkout process directly within Google's AI interfaces like the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search.

This is part of what Google termed the "agentic commerce era", where AI agents autonomously handle complex shopping tasks. The company also announced Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, a platform for retailers to deploy AI agents for customer service and sales, and Business Agent, a tool that lets brands operate a customised AI chatbot on Google Search.

Additional initiatives include new data attributes in its Merchant Centre to improve product discovery in conversational AI and a pilot program called Direct Offers, which will let retailers show exclusive discounts to users in AI-powered search results.

Google stated several major US retailers, including The Home Depot, Kroger, and Gap Inc., are already using its new AI platforms for applications ranging from content creation to in-store navigation.