After adding a few shopping features to Gemini late last year, Google is now taking things a step further. The company recently announced a new standard called the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which enables a more comprehensive shopping experience in the chatbot and Search’s AI Mode.
The UCP covers everything from discovery to after-sales support, aiming to streamline shopping for Gemini and Search users. Walmart has now confirmed that it’s among the first retailers to adopt the standard, allowing users to browse, compare, and purchase Walmart and Sam’s Club products without leaving the chat interface.
In response to shopping-related queries, Gemini will now surface both in-store and online products from Walmart and Sam’s Club. Users will be able to purchase these products after linking their accounts, and Walmart will even recommend complementary items based on their past purchases.
Walmart says the partnership reflects a broader shift toward agent-led commerce, where AI handles more of the shopping journey on behalf of the users. According to John Furner, President and CEO of Walmart US, the move represents “the next great revolution in retail,” and allows the retailer to “help customers get what they need and want, when and where they want it.”
The new agentic shopping experience will debut first within Gemini in the US before rolling out to more markets. It isn’t immediately clear whether the feature will cover the full Walmart and Sam’s Club catalogs or launch with a limited selection of products.
Walmart’s Gemini deal isn’t its first AI shopping play
Gemini isn’t the first AI chatbot to offer an agentic shopping experience for Walmart products. The retailer partnered with OpenAI last year to leverage ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout feature, allowing users to browse and purchase select items within the chatbot.
Gemini may not be the last either, as Microsoft debuted its agentic commerce experience, dubbed Copilot Checkout, last week. While the company hasn’t announced partnerships with major retailers like Walmart yet, it has already kicked things off through integrations with Shopify, PayPal, and Stripe.
