AI shopping in action
Google announced they’re implementing ‘agentic checkout’ as part of their AI Mode. This will track the price of products, until they drop to fit within the buyers’ specified budget. Shoppers will then be prompted with a notification and a ‘buy for me’ confirmation button.
This comes after Google’s introduction of a virtual try-on tool where customers can see clothing they’ll potentially buy digitally added to a photo of them. Remember that scene in Clueless where Cher swipes through a tablet to find just the right outfit combination from her closet? Turns out, that wasn’t so far off the future.
phia
phia is an app created by Sophia Kianni and Phoebe Gates (yes, that Gates). It uses AI to find and compare cheaper and often secondhand versions of pieces that customers are looking at, helping them to secure the best deal. This highlights it’s not just the price that shoppers are thinking about, it’s sustainability too.
Mastercard, Visa and Paypal
Mastercard’s ‘Agent Pay’ and Visa’s ‘Intelligent Commerce’ will use a token system to take a customer’s purchase through the checkout entirely through automation.
PayPal also announced last week that they’re building an agentic commerce toolkit. Meaning every step of the shopping process will be handled by AI and the checkout process as you once knew it will change completely.
What do AI shopping prompts look like?
Customer’s prompts are likely to centre around discounts, like ‘buy this when it’s on sale/down 20%’ etc. But in the early stages of the buyer's journey, when they don’t know what they’re looking for yet, prompts may be broader.
For example:
- "I’m looking for a skincare routine that will make my skin glowy. I have dry skin, live in a cold climate and am looking to spend between $20-50 per product. Find brands that are cruelty-free and vegan."
- "Find a lightweight suit to wear as a guest to a summer wedding. This is the dress code on the invitation [insert invite], a moodboard of the guest style [insert photos] and the weather forecast."
- "I like this style [insert photos]. Where can I find items like this? How can I build this wardrobe? I want brands that are sustainable and locally made."
How your store can adapt to capture digital shoppers
1. Make product descriptions “AI-friendly”
AI prompts focus on lifestyle context, not just product features. To optimize your product descriptions:
- Audit your current descriptions: Go through your top products and identify which descriptions only list features versus those that paint a lifestyle picture.
- Add use-case language: “Perfect for summer weddings,” “ideal for cold-climate skincare routines”.
- Use structured data/metadata: Implement schema markup so AI agents can easily parse size, material, price, and sustainability credentials.
Action tip: Audit your top 20 SKUs and rewrite descriptions with lifestyle triggers (events, seasons, moods). Track which updates result in more organic search clicks.
2. Go beyond generic discounts
AI agents are programmed to find the best deals and track price drops.
- Create a discount calendar: Plan promotions 8-12 weeks ahead around major shopping events (back-to-school, holiday seasons, spring cleaning)
- Offer bundled savings: Create bundles like “glowy skincare set” instead of single products. AI prompts like “find me a full skincare routine” will favor bundles.
- Use personalized thresholds: AI will notice “Buy 2, get 10% off” or “Spend $50 for free shipping.”
- Set up price-drop alerts: Use tools like Google Merchant Center to notify when competitors change pricing.
Action tip: Map your promotional calendar to major lifestyle prompts (summer travel, holiday gifting). Launch discounts two weeks before peak periods so AI agents pick them up in time.
3. Optimize for sustainability and values
AI shoppers like Phia show that customers are prioritizing value alignment.
- Clearly tag products as sustainable, secondhand, recyclable, cruelty-free, vegan where relevant.
- Dedicate a category page to “Eco & Ethical” products. AI will read the page context.
Action tip: Run a site audit using Ahrefs or SEMRush. Can an AI instantly understand your store’s values from product metadata? If not, add clear labels and collection pages.
4. Think in prompts, not products
When writing content, imagine what your target customer's AI request would look like.
- Blog post: “What to wear as a guest to a summer wedding” → link to your dresses and suits.
- Landing page: “Build a capsule wardrobe under $300” → showcase versatile, mix-and-match items.
Action tip: Brainstorm 5 “customer prompts” relevant to your niche or audience. Create product copy or landing pages that directly answer them.
5. Prepare for AI-driven discovery
As agents take over search and checkout:
- Product filters may matter less, but structured catalogs will matter more
- AI will look for clear images, lifestyle photos, and reviews to validate product quality
- Social proof (reviews, UGC, case studies) will still influence AI recommendations
- Agents will commonly ask things like "What occasions is this suitable for?" "What body types does this flatter?" "How does this compare to [competitor]?" to decide what products to surface. Implement structured FAQ sections to answer these.
Action tip: Refresh your top 10 product pages with lifestyle photos, review snippets, and schema markup this month.
Looking ahead
We predict that as AI develops a greater understanding of user’s preferences, there will be less need for product filters in search bars. The checkout page will undergo a complete transformation and stores will be discovered in new ways. It’s a lot of change to take in.
But great stores will continue to thrive as long as they’re listing products strategically. Because while the method of shopping is undergoing an overhaul, people will always want high quality products that suit their lifestyle and values.
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