commercetools Launches 'AgenticLift' — Enable Agentic Commerce Without Replacing Your Existing System

commercetools Announces New Product 'AgenticLift'

commercetools introduces standalone agentic commerce

Ecommerce platform developer and service provider commercetools is rolling out AgenticLift, a standalone agentic commerce product.

On January 21, 2026, German commerce platform company commercetools officially announced its new product "AgenticLift." AgenticLift is a standalone solution that enables enterprises to implement the entire flow from product discovery to purchase via AI agents without replacing their existing e-commerce systems.

Dirk Hoerig, founder and Chief Innovation Officer of commercetools, commented: "AI is changing where and how buying decisions are made. Businesses need a way to participate starting today, not years from now. AgenticLift offers a faster, more flexible path to capturing new revenue and modernizing their stack without disrupting existing systems."

Background and Industry Trends

2026 has been called the "first year of agentic commerce." Agentic commerce refers to a new purchasing experience where AI agents discover products, compare options, and execute purchases on behalf of consumers. This represents an evolution from the traditional fragmented steps of "search → compare → purchase" to a continuous purchasing experience where AI understands intent and processes everything in one seamless flow.

According to Morgan Stanley's predictions, by 2030, approximately half of online shoppers will use AI shopping agents, accounting for about 25% of spending. Moreover, more than half of U.S. consumers currently use AI tools for product discovery, and over 35% of generative AI traffic is replacing traditional search.

Against this backdrop, AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot are becoming major product discovery channels, forcing retailers to ensure "discoverability" and "purchasability" in these environments. However, many companies are struggling to respond due to legacy architecture, competing priorities, and the proliferation of emerging AI standards.

AgenticLift Features and Capabilities

AgenticLift is built on commercetools' enterprise-grade foundation and offers the following capabilities:

• Integration of product discovery, cart building, and checkout flows via AI agents
• Support for multiple AI platforms including Google Gemini, OpenAI ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot
• Enterprise governance, compliance management, and real-time data access capabilities
• Support for Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Stripe's Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)

AgenticLift's most significant feature is that it doesn't require completely replacing existing e-commerce platforms. Companies operating custom-built or legacy systems can add AI-powered product discovery and purchase flows as an integration layer. This allows businesses to modernize at their own pace while implementing agentic commerce immediately.

Early Case Study: JD Sports Initiative

Prior to the AgenticLift announcement, commercetools announced at NRF 2026 on January 12, 2026, that UK sports retailer JD Sports Fashion had adopted agentic commerce.

JD Sports combined commercetools' AI Hub with Stripe's Agentic Commerce Suite (ACS) to enable U.S. customers to search for and purchase sneakers directly within ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini. Customers can complete a one-click purchase simply by telling the AI chatbot "add this shoe to my cart."

Regis Schultz, Group Chief Executive Officer of JD Sports Fashion, stated: "This partnership puts JD at the forefront of AI commerce. We want to reach customers where purchasing decisions are being made and make it easy for them to complete purchases."

Impact and Implications for E-commerce Businesses

AgenticLift is a compelling option particularly for the following types of companies:

• Companies operating existing e-commerce platforms that cannot immediately replatform
• Large enterprises with custom-built or legacy systems
• Retail, manufacturing, and distribution companies wanting to take a phased approach to AI shopping

• Enable AI channel support without full replatforming
• Synchronize product data, pricing, and inventory information across all AI channels
• Future-proof with support for industry-standard protocols like MCP and ACP

AgenticLift is currently available, though specific pricing has not been publicly disclosed. Companies considering implementation need to contact commercetools directly.

Conclusion

The commercetools AgenticLift announcement represents an important milestone in the agentic commerce market. While AI shopping support was previously thought to require major system overhauls, AgenticLift demonstrates the potential to significantly lower that barrier.

What to watch going forward is the standardization movement in agentic commerce, including Stripe's ACP and Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). UCP was developed in collaboration with Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart, and major payment providers including Mastercard, Visa, and Adyen have expressed support. As standardization progresses, the options for AI shopping support will continue to expand for e-commerce businesses.

E-commerce businesses should develop phased agentic commerce implementation plans based on their system status and customer AI usage trends.