Shopify is preparing for a major shift in online retail as artificial intelligence begins to change how people discover and buy products. The company expects AI shopping agents to become a new entry point for e-commerce, where automated assistants help customers search, compare, and purchase products in a more personalized way. Shopify believes this shift will reshape how merchants reach customers and how shoppers make decisions.
According to comments shared at the Upfront Summit in Los Angeles, Shopify president Harley Finkelstein said the company is investing heavily in what it calls agentic shopping.
He explained that only about 18 percent of retail purchases in the United States currently happen online, and AI driven shopping assistants could push that number higher by making online shopping easier and more relevant.
AI agents could become personal shoppers
Shopify believes these AI agents will act like digital personal shoppers that understand customer preferences over time. Instead of relying on basic search results, the assistant can recommend products based on past choices and individual tastes.
For example, if a customer prefers a specific running shoe brand, the AI agent will prioritize those products during future searches.
Shopify is already building tools to support this shift. The company is developing an AI assistant for merchants called Sidekick, along with systems that allow AI agents to understand merchant data such as product information. Shopify expects these tools to help smaller brands gain visibility while giving customers more personalized shopping experiences.
