Google throws its hat into the agentic shopping ring

don't get left behind

Author

Ada at Sellify
February 16, 2026

In partnership with

Happy Monday to all 10,000+ unstoppable Shopify builders!

Ada here, with your weekly dose of ecommerce insights designed to boost your sales by at least 1% this week. 

Here is what is inside today’s edition:

  • Industry: Shopify prepares for AI-driven discovery

  • Growth Hack: Why problem-solving UGC is outperforming traditional creator content

  • Weekly Challenge: The 60-minute FAQ-to-Video conversion.

  • Trend: Baby Bottle Washers 

Google throws its hat into the agentic shopping ring.

In a recent memo cited by Bloomberg, Google announced it is testing new ad formats within its search AI mode that allow retailers to offer products directly within the conversation.

Here are the main points:

  • Direct Checkout Partnerships: Google is collaborating with Shopify, Walmart, and Target on a new protocol that lets customers check out directly within Google’s AI products.

  • Gemini Marketplaces: You can now purchase items from major platforms like Etsy and Wayfair directly inside the Gemini interface.

  • Direct Offers: A new feature called "Direct Offers" will allow your brand to push specific discounts to customers while they are in "AI Mode".

  • The "Agentic" Future: With 70% of consumers open to using AI agents for shopping, Google is building the infrastructure for a future where AI handles recurring decisions and reduces purchase friction.

What this means for you: The "traditional" click from a search result to your Shopify store is becoming optional. Google (and its $650 billion AI infrastructure spend) wants to be the storefront.

As a Shopify merchant, you can prepare for this shift by

  • optimizing your store for "agentic" search (if you haven’t started doing so) using tools like Plug In AI. Ensure your product data feeds are ultra-clean. If an AI agent is shopping for a customer, it needs structured data (size, color, stock, material) to make the "buy" decision.

  • leveraging direct offers: Keep an eye out for the rollout of "Direct Offers" in your Google Merchant Center to capture high-intent AI users with real-time discounts.

Growth hack: Use your UGC to solve problems

Many brands believe user-generated content stopped working. What actually stopped working was performance-style enthusiasm.

Audiences have become highly efficient at recognizing promotional behavior. Algorithms have evolved alongside them. Platforms now reward content that holds attention and answers intent, not content that simply advertises.

The most successful brands right now are shifting from selling a product to answering a question. High-converting content in 2026 does not look like an ad; it looks like a solution. If you strip away the high-production value and the scripted excitement, you are left with the only thing that actually moves the needle: utility.

One ad that captures this perfectly is this one:

Stop asking your creators to "love" the product. Instead, ask them to demonstrate how the product solves a specific, nagging problem. People don't want to see a creator who is obsessed with your brand. They want to see a creator who had a problem they can relate to and used your product to fix it.

Challenge: Plan your 60-Minute FAQ-to-Video Conversion

This week, turn customer questions into conversion assets.

Step 1 (20 mins): Go into your support inbox or Shopify Inbox. Identify the top three questions customers ask before they buy (e.g., "Will this fit a standard cupholder?" or "Is this safe for sensitive skin?").

Step 2 (20 mins): Record a 15-second "Loom-style" or selfie video for each question. Do not use a script or a ring light. Just show the product and answer the question directly.

Step 3 (20 mins): Post these as "Video FAQs" on your product page or as a carousel on your social feed.

When customers see their exact concern addressed visually, hesitation drops immediately. You are not convincing them to buy. You are helping them feel confident enough to decide.

Baby Bottle Washers

Parenting tech is moving from luxury to essential. Baby bottle washers are countertop units that wash, dry, and sterilize bottles in one go, solving a problem for parents who are currently hand-washing ten bottles a day. Premium options are already generating over $1.9 million per month on Amazon, signaling a massive shift toward "Convenience Tech."

3 Ways to cash in on this trend:

The Eco-Friendly Angle: Market these machines as water-savers compared to traditional hand-washing. Parents in 2026 are highly motivated by guilt-free convenience that doesn't hurt the planet.

The "Life-Saving" Bundle: If you sell baby clothes or nursery items, partner with a tech brand to offer a "New Parent Survival Kit." Position the washer as a way to "buy back" two hours of sleep every week.

Educational Content: Use the sterilization science hook. Create content explaining why medical-grade sterilization is crucial for infants under two months, then position the bottle washer as the most reliable way to achieve it at home.

Stop Duplicates & Amazon Resellers Before They Strike

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Till next Monday,

Ada