First it was Google. Then it was Instagram ads. Then TikTok influencers.
Every few years, the way consumers discover and buy products shifts.
Now, we’re at the start of another massive shakeup: AI shopping agents.
What’s Happening
Instead of browsing dozens of sites, consumers are starting to ask AI tools to shop for them.
Think ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, or Perplexity’s “Comet.” These aren’t search engines in the traditional sense. They don’t spit out blue links. They respond like a personal shopper:
“Find me a pair of sustainable running shoes under $120.”
“I need a last-minute gift for a 5-year-old who loves dinosaurs.”
“Book me the best deal on a 3-night stay in Miami with a pool.”
The AI reads reviews, scans product listings, compares features, and comes back with a handful of top recommendations. In some cases, it even completes the checkout without the shopper ever landing on your site.
This is not a future state. This is already happening.
Why It Matters for Ecommerce Brands
If you’re a DTC founder or marketing operator, this shift is critical.
You may never get the click: AI agents cut out the endless browsing. If you’re not in the shortlist, you’re invisible.
Your copywriting now feeds AI: Metadata, structured data, and descriptive product copy are how AIs “see” and interpret your brand.
Performance is a ranking factor: Slow sites or clunky UX won’t just annoy customers—they’ll get you skipped by AI.
Attribution gets murkier: How do you know an AI agent recommended you? Traditional analytics tools won’t tell you.
New players are emerging: Startups like Profound and Refine are popping up to track your “AI search visibility.”
In short: you’re not just optimizing for people anymore—you’re optimizing for the algorithms that shop on their behalf.
What You Can Do Right Now
The good news? You don’t need to rebuild your brand from scratch. You just need to make your site and product listings AI-friendly.
Here’s where to start:
Write for humans, optimize for AI
Don’t just list specs—explain benefits and context. Instead of “100% cotton shirt,” write “A breathable cotton shirt that keeps you cool in summer weddings.”Leverage structured data
Add schema markup, alt text, and clean product feeds. This makes your catalog machine-readable.Speed-test your site
Every extra second of load time is one less chance of being recommended. Aim for <2 seconds.Experiment with AI visibility tools
Track how (and if) your products are being surfaced by ChatGPT or Perplexity.Shift your marketing language
Think in intent-based phrases:“Best gifts for new dads under $50”
“Eco-friendly yoga gear that ships fast”
“Travel backpack that fits under an airplane seat”
These are the prompts people are already giving AI.
The Bigger Picture
We’ve seen this movie before.
SEO in the 2000s → Brands scrambled to rank on Google.
Social in the 2010s → Those who figured out Facebook and Instagram ads early saw explosive growth.
TikTok in the 2020s → The first brands to go viral built cult followings.
Now it’s AI agents in the mid-2020s.
The difference this time? Instead of influencing human decision-makers, you’re influencing AI models that are doing the decision-making for consumers.
The Bottom Line
Shopping is moving from clicks to conversations.
The consumer of the future won’t be typing your brand name into Google or scrolling through endless Instagram ads. They’ll be asking their AI:
“What should I buy?”
The winners? Brands that learn how to get recommended first.
-Parker Burr