Remember When Shopify Changed Everything?
Fifteen years ago, Shopify didn’t just make it easier to start an online store — it changed who could.
It democratized e-commerce. Suddenly, anyone with an idea and a laptop could sell to the world.
For a decade, that was the story of modern retail.
Then came the next frontier — automation, AI marketing, and no-code tools.
But those were all extensions of the same model: humans searching, clicking, and checking out on websites.
Agentic commerce flips that model entirely.
Now, AI does the searching. AI does the recommending. AI even facilitates the checkout.
And once again, a new generation of brands is about to win big.
What Exactly Is Agentic Commerce?
Agentic commerce is the next evolution of e-commerce — where AI agents like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini act as intelligent intermediaries between consumers and brands.
Instead of a customer typing into a search bar, they now ask:
“What’s the best moisturizer for sensitive skin under $50?”
And instead of showing a list of links, the AI agent reasons through structured product data and recommends specific products — right there in the conversation.
That’s agentic commerce:
Commerce powered by understanding, not just indexing.
How We Got Here
Search engines were built to help humans find web pages.
AI agents are being built to help humans find answers.
The moment OpenAI launched Instant Checkout inside ChatGPT, retail quietly changed forever.
For the first time, a customer could go from curiosity to purchase without ever leaving the conversation.
Behind that experience sits the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) — the data standard that makes your product understandable to AI.
If you’re not ACP-compliant, you’re invisible.
If you are, you’re discoverable in the fastest-growing channel on the internet.
Why This Is Bigger Than SEO or Social
For two decades, retail brands lived and died by traffic.
You ran ads, fought for organic rankings, and hoped your click-through rate held up.
But AI agents don’t “click.” They decide.
They analyze thousands of options, evaluate quality, understand intent, and recommend the best fit.
And customers increasingly trust those recommendations.
So instead of optimizing for keywords, you’re now optimizing for context.
Instead of chasing followers, you’re training AI comprehension.
That’s why I believe agentic commerce isn’t a trend — it’s an economic reset.
The Same Energy Shopify Had in 2009
When Shopify first launched, it quietly removed the need for technical expertise.
Anyone could build a store. The tools were simple. The power was exponential.
Today, GXO.dev is doing the same thing for the AI layer of commerce.
We’re giving merchants the ability to:
- Connect their store from Shopify, Etsy, BigCommerce, or Stripe
- Generate an ACP-compliant feed automatically
- Make their products discoverable to AI agents like ChatGPT
- Preview and optimize how those products appear in conversation
- Track analytics to see discovery and conversion performance
In other words: we’ve taken what used to be complex developer work — and made it a button click.
Why This Shift Matters for Retailers
Agentic commerce changes everything about how customers buy:
| Old Model | New Model |
|---|---|
| Customers search manually | AI agents find and recommend products |
| SEO and ads drive discovery | Data compliance drives visibility |
| Merchants optimize for clicks | Merchants optimize for understanding |
| Checkout happens on-site | Checkout happens inside AI conversations |
The shift isn’t just technological — it’s psychological.
Customers now expect relevance, immediacy, and trust built into every recommendation.
And AI agents, powered by structured data, deliver exactly that.
The Power of AI-Driven Discovery
For years, we’ve used “search intent” as a proxy for interest.
Now, AI agents interpret real intent — understanding tone, context, and nuance.
They can tell the difference between:
“I want to try a new coffee brand,”
and
“I need a low-acid coffee that won’t upset my stomach.”
That level of understanding turns what used to be a funnel into a conversation.
And the brands who show up in those moments are the ones whose product data is clean, contextual, and ACP-compliant.
The Rise of the AI Shopping Layer
Think of AI commerce as a new layer sitting on top of the internet.
It’s not replacing websites — it’s interpreting them.
Your product pages, descriptions, and images don’t disappear.
They just feed a new discovery system — one that speaks in structured data instead of keywords.
That’s where GXO.dev comes in.
We sit between your e-commerce platform and this new AI discovery layer, translating your product catalog into the Agentic Commerce Protocol.
The result?
Every time someone asks ChatGPT a question your product can answer, your store has a seat at the table.
What the Winners Will Have in Common
The brands that dominate this next phase of commerce will share three traits:
- Structured Data Clarity — their product information will be complete, validated, and easy for AI to interpret.
- Continuous Optimization — they’ll treat their data like a living asset, updating it as products evolve.
- Platform Agility — they’ll use tools like GXO.dev to connect across Shopify, Stripe, and beyond.
They won’t be “louder.” They’ll be clearer.
And clarity, in the AI era, is the new currency of visibility.
A Subtle But Massive Power Shift
Let’s be honest — this transition feels familiar.
We saw it with SEO, social media, and influencer marketing.
But this time, the advantage doesn’t go to whoever shouts the loudest.
It goes to whoever speaks machine language fluently.
And the merchants who do that — who invest now in ACP compliance and ACO optimization — will become the default recommendations of every AI shopping assistant that follows.
This isn’t about competing harder. It’s about competing smarter.
Why I Built GXO.dev
I built GXO.dev because I saw this shift coming — and realized most brands weren’t ready.
They were still pouring money into channels that no longer control attention.
GXO.dev exists to help brands transition into agentic commerce without friction:
- No developers.
- No schema documentation.
- No guesswork.
Just plug in, publish your feed, and start showing up where people now shop — inside AI.
That’s the power Shopify gave merchants in 2009.
We’re bringing that same revolution into 2025 and beyond.
Final Thoughts: This Isn’t the Future — It’s the Present
The adoption curve is already steep.
ChatGPT’s shopping integrations are live. Claude and Gemini are next.
Consumers are shifting faster than most brands realize.
If you’re a retailer, your store already lives in one of two categories:
- AI-visible or
- AI-invisible.
This is your moment to choose.
Just like Shopify gave rise to a new class of entrepreneurs, agentic commerce will create a new class of brands that dominate discovery across every AI platform.
And GXO.dev is how you join them.
Connect Your Brand's Store to GXO.dev
Get ahead of the shift.
Connect your store to GXO.dev, generate your ACP-compliant feed, and make your products visible inside the conversations that drive the future of retail.
