EC & AI Commerce News Digest (January 15, 2026)

Today's Top Stories

Google, Amazon, and OpenAI in Three-Way Battle for AI Commerce

Why Google, Amazon and OpenAI Are on a Collision Course Over AI Commerce

AI-powered shopping is becoming a new area of competition among major technology companies, e-commerce platforms and retailers...

AI-powered shopping experiences are rapidly emerging as a new competitive arena for major technology companies, e-commerce platforms, and retailers. Each company is pursuing different approaches to how consumers discover and purchase products online.

According to The Information, Google is promoting AI shopping standardization through the "Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)" announced at NRF 2026, partnering with Shopify, Walmart, Target, and others. Meanwhile, OpenAI has enabled in-ChatGPT purchases through the "Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)" co-developed with Stripe, announcing the "Instant Checkout" feature in September 2025. Amazon has also introduced the "Shop Direct" feature allowing users to browse other brands' products on Amazon. While strategies differ, competition for AI commerce market dominance is heating up.

According to McKinsey research, agentic commerce transaction value is projected to reach $3-5 trillion annually by 2030, highlighting the growing importance of this market.

Agentic AI Becomes Retail's "Make-or-Break Battleground"

How agentic AI is becoming retail's make-or-break battleground

At NRF 2026 (National Retail Federation Conference), "agentic AI" became the keyword discussed at every booth. According to The Drum, industry leaders including SAP, Dunnhumby, and Mirakl shared their perspectives on how AI agents will transform the retail industry.

SAP's CMO Sarah Richter noted that "agentic AI is all about data," emphasizing the importance of leveraging siloed data in real-time. She also pointed out that since AI agents gather information from multiple sources including Wikipedia, Reddit, and third-party sites, companies need to manage information not just on their own sites but externally as well.

A Dunnhumby executive predicted that "just as online search became table stakes in the 2000s, agentic commerce will become table stakes too."

Agentic Commerce

Retailers Shift to Welcoming AI Bots: NRF Report

At NRF, retailers say 'bring on all the bots'

NRF 2026 revealed that major retailers are actively advancing AI shopping agent adoption. A field report by The Drum's commerce media columnist Kiri Masters documented the dramatic shift in retail industry attitudes.

Particularly noteworthy was the statement from Rob Frieman, CIO of URBN (parent company of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, and Nuuly). "For the past decade, we've been saying 'no bots on the site.' Now it's the complete opposite. We're saying 'bring on all the bots, buy all our products,'" he said.

Kroger officially launched agentic commerce this week through a partnership with Google, integrating Meal Assistant and Shopping Assistant to handle complex multi-step tasks from a single instruction. Microsoft also launched America's first agentic commerce experience last week, partnering with Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.

Walmart Explains Differences Between Google Gemini and ChatGPT

Walmart and Google Turn AI Discovery Into Effortless Shopping Experiences

Today, Google and Walmart Inc. share plans to pair the intelligence of Google's Gemini with Walmart and Sam's Clubs' unmatched assortment, value and convenience.

Walmart's AI lead Daniel Danker revealed the key differences between shopping partnerships with Google Gemini and ChatGPT. Speaking at the ICR Conference in Orlando, he noted that Gemini delivers a more "seamless" transaction experience.

Danker explained that "Gemini's AI agent and our AI agent are partnering together to create a unified shopping journey." A distinguishing feature of Gemini is the ability to connect customer chat sessions with existing Walmart profiles and shopping sessions outside of Gemini.

"The most important currency in the world of agentic shopping is actually trust and affordability," Danker emphasized. He noted that Walmart's broad assortment, low prices, and fast delivery are why they frequently appear in Gemini and ChatGPT shopping recommendations. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate that agentic sales could add $115 billion to U.S. e-commerce spending by 2030.

Microsoft, Mirakl, and J.P. Morgan Debate Agentic AI at NRF 2026

Microsoft, Mirakl, & J.P. Morgan Payments Lead Agentic AI Discussion at AI in Retail Conference & Gala during NRF 2026

The AI in Retail Conference returns to New York on January 12, bringing senior retail and AI leaders together to explore agentic AI at scale globally in retail.

Executives from Microsoft, Mirakl, and J.P. Morgan Payments debated the future of agentic AI at the AI in Retail Conference held in New York on January 12.

Anne-Claire Baschet, Chief AI & Data Officer at Mirakl, stated that "it's clear that AI exists throughout the shopper journey, from personalization to agentic commerce to supply chain optimization." In a joint keynote with Prashant Sharma from J.P. Morgan Payments (biometric payments and agentic commerce), they discussed what comes after "discovery."

Keith Mercier, Vice President of Retail & Consumer Goods at Microsoft, noted that "customer expectations are evolving, and today's shoppers are looking for a personal agent that not only finds the best deals but understands their preferences and anticipates their needs."

AI Commerce Tools

Adobe Goes All-In on AI for Commerce and Content

Adobe Bets Big On AI For Commerce & Content

Adobe announced AI feature enhancements across its content and commerce platforms. This includes general availability of AI agents in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), along with expansion of Adobe Commerce Cloud Service (ACCS) and Adobe Commerce Optimizer (ACO).

Particularly noteworthy is Adobe Commerce Optimizer (ACO), a new headless storefront solution that allows e-commerce sites to upgrade their frontend while maintaining existing legacy backend commerce solutions. It includes Commerce Storefront, generative AI content creation, A/B testing, and access to a new catalog data model.

AI agents reduce launch cycles and minimize manual work across global teams by automating content updates, page creation, and site migrations. They also embed brand, rights, and policy enforcement directly into workflows and structure content to be discoverable and citable by generative AI search and chat services. ACCS and ACO are now also available in Australia.

Payments & Fintech

Insight and Stripe Partner to Modernize Enterprise Commerce

Insight And Stripe Partner To Modernise Enterprise Commerce

Insight Enterprises (NASDAQ: NSIT) announced an expanded global partnership with Stripe on January 14. This partnership helps enterprises modernize legacy financial infrastructure, improve checkout conversion, and capitalize on the new era of AI-driven commerce.

Insight was selected as one of three EMEA launch partners for Stripe's Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP). ACP is an open standard co-developed by Stripe that allows consumers to make purchases within platforms like ChatGPT rather than through traditional web or app flows.

Insight is building a Stripe Center of Excellence (CoE) with over 100 in-house Stripe-certified architects and payments engineers. Insight's CEO Joyce Mullen stated that "enterprises are entering a new era where commerce, AI, and financial operations converge." Stripe's CRO Eileen O'Mara commented that they are "helping the world's largest companies stay as nimble and ambitious as they were on day one."

Logistics & Fulfillment

Route Acquires Frate Returns, Strengthening Reverse Logistics

Route acquires Frate Returns in reverse logistics merger

Combined platforms will offer e-commerce merchants a single, vertically integrated platform to manage the entire customer journey after checkout, firms say.

Reverse logistics provider Route announced the acquisition of returns and exchanges platform Frate Returns. The merger integrates Route's package protection and tracking suite with Frate's intelligent exchange-first returns technology.

Frate's capabilities include exchange-first optimization, AI image authentication, and flexible shipping, refund, and payment options, enabling e-commerce brands to reduce refund rates and operational costs while maintaining revenue and improving customer loyalty.

Bailey Newton, co-founder and CEO of Frate Returns, stated that "today's merchants are looking for tech stack consolidation to reduce costs without sacrificing customer experience." Route was founded in 2019 by Evan Walker and Mike Moreno, and is now trusted by over 13,000 brands, having protected over $20 billion in gross merchandise value.

Amazon to Open Same-Day Delivery Facility in Memphis

Amazon announces plans for same-day delivery facility in Memphis

The 350,000 square-foot project is expected to begin in late 2027, according to a statement from the Greater Memphis Chamber.

Amazon announced plans to build the city of Memphis's first same-day delivery facility, according to a press release from the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce.

The facility will be built on Clarke Road (4131) and will span approximately 350,000 square feet (about 33,000 square meters). Operations are expected to begin in late 2027, creating over 100 jobs plus a network of independent Amazon Flex delivery partners.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young commented that "Amazon's continued investment in Memphis is a testament to the direction of our city and the people who support it. This new facility will bring jobs, growth, and opportunity while reinforcing Memphis's position as a hub for logistics and innovation." The facility will support local package processing and last-mile operations to meet customer demand for faster delivery options.

Summary

January 15, 2026, marked a day of successive announcements at NRF 2026 (National Retail Federation Conference), signaling that "agentic AI" has finally entered the practical implementation stage in the EC and AI commerce industry.

As the battle between the three major tech giants—Google, Amazon, and OpenAI—in the AI shopping market becomes clearer, retailers including Kroger, URBN (Urban Outfitters parent company), and Walmart are announcing AI agent adoptions one after another. The symbolic shift of retailers who once said "no bots" to "bring on all the bots" represents a 180-degree policy reversal.

Companies like Adobe, Microsoft, Stripe, and Insight are also strengthening their agentic AI capabilities, and this trend is expected to accelerate further. The competition for the $3-5 trillion market that McKinsey projects by 2030 has only just begun.

Key points to watch going forward include which will become the industry standard—Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) or Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)—and how far AI agent adoption will progress among retailers.