Buying in Gemini: Google Enables Direct AI Checkout at NRF 2026
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| Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash |
At the National Retail Federation (NRF) 2026 conference, Google announced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open standard designed to unify the fragmented landscape of AI driven shopping. Developed in collaboration with retail heavyweights like Shopify, Walmart, Target, and Etsy, UCP allows AI agents to handle the entire customer journey from product discovery to post purchase support without requiring bespoke integrations for every platform. This protocol works alongside existing frameworks like the Agent Payments Protocol (A2P) and Model Context Protocol (MCP), creating a standardized "language" for commerce agents. For consumers, this translates to immediate utility: Google is rolling out direct checkout capabilities within Search (AI mode) and Gemini apps, allowing users to buy products from U.S. retailers instantly using Google Pay and stored Wallet credentials, with PayPal support arriving soon.
On the merchant side, Google introduced new tools to capitalize on the surge in AI driven traffic, which Adobe reports grew by nearly 700% during the last holiday season. The company launched Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience (CX), a suite that enables brands to deploy "Business Agents" on their websites for real time customer service and sales; early adopters include Lowe’s, Michael’s, and Reebok. Additionally, Google is introducing "Direct Offers," a feature that allows brands to inject special discounts directly into AI generated search results when high purchase intent is detected such as offering a deal on a rug when a user queries for "easy to clean dining room decor." This move positions Google to compete aggressively with Microsoft and OpenAI, both of whom are also racing to become the primary interface for the next generation of agentic commerce.