The retail landscape is rapidly transforming, and agentic commerce, where AI performs tasks on behalf of consumers, is moving from a theoretical concept to a tangible reality. This evolution promises to redefine how shoppers interact with brands and make purchasing decisions. Last year marked significant advancements with the introduction of agentic tools for shoppers and the streamlining of agent-led payments through our Agent Payments Protocol (AP2). Our vision is for an agentic commerce future that is inherently open, fosters collaboration, and empowers everyone to achieve success. Today, we are thrilled to announce several key developments, achieved through partnerships with leading retailers and platforms, that represent a crucial stride forward in realizing this vision.
Unlock retail growth with a new open standard. Today, we are launching the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a groundbreaking new open standard specifically designed for agentic commerce. This protocol seamlessly integrates across the entire shopping journey, encompassing everything from initial product discovery and the buying process to essential post-purchase support. UCP establishes a unified language that enables AI agents and various systems to operate cohesively across diverse consumer interfaces, business platforms, and payment providers. This innovation eliminates the need for bespoke connections for each individual agent, allowing all agents to interact with unparalleled ease.
What is agentic commerce? Agentic commerce refers to a paradigm where artificial intelligence agents act on behalf of individuals to perform tasks, such as making purchases, booking appointments, or managing subscriptions, often without direct human intervention in every step. It leverages AI to automate and optimize consumer-facing processes.
UCP is engineered to be universally applicable across different industry verticals and maintains compatibility with existing industry protocols, including Agent2Agent (A2A), Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), and Model Context Protocol (MCP). This ensures a smooth transition and integration for businesses already utilizing these standards.
The development of UCP has been a collaborative effort, spearheaded by industry giants such as Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart. Furthermore, it has garnered strong endorsement from over 20 other influential organizations within the broader ecosystem. These include prominent names like Adyen, American Express, Best Buy, Flipkart, Macy’s Inc., Mastercard, Stripe, The Home Depot, Visa, and Zalando, underscoring the widespread industry support for this initiative.
This new standard provides a robust framework for retailers to adapt to the increasing sophistication of AI-driven shopping experiences. By adopting UCP, businesses can ensure their platforms are ready for the next wave of consumer interaction, where personalized AI assistants play a central role.
The benefits of agentic commerce extend to enhanced customer loyalty through more seamless and personalized shopping journeys. Retailers can anticipate reduced cart abandonment rates as AI agents proactively assist customers throughout the buying funnel.
This collaborative approach to developing UCP signifies a commitment to building an inclusive and interconnected future for retail. It ensures that innovation benefits all participants, from large enterprises to smaller merchants.
The integration of UCP will pave the way for more efficient inventory management and targeted marketing campaigns, driven by AI insights into consumer behavior and preferences.
Retailers can leverage UCP to offer proactive customer service, with AI agents addressing queries and resolving issues before they escalate, thereby improving customer satisfaction.
This open standard is designed to foster a competitive yet collaborative environment, encouraging further innovation in the agentic commerce space.
By embracing UCP, retailers position themselves at the forefront of technological advancement, ready to meet the evolving demands of the modern consumer.
The success of agentic commerce relies on trust and security. Protocols like AP2, integrated with UCP, ensure that payments are handled securely and efficiently, building confidence for both consumers and businesses.
This initiative represents a significant step towards a future where shopping is more intuitive, personalized, and efficient for everyone involved.
![[post_title]](https://samony.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Mondays-briefing-Man-Utd-exit-FA-Cup-but-Arsenal-still.jpg?lm=69647F95 "Why Did Man Utd Lose FA Cup? Key Reasons Explained")
