Google takes 2026 NRF to ‘9agentic commerce’ and points to new era of digital retail with launch of Universal Commerce Protocol

NRF 2026 has brought to light a revolution in digital retail, with Google positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation Universal Commerce Protocol and the use of AI to facilitate purchases in an even more fluid and personalized way shows how technology is shaping the future of retail.

For Rodrigo Abreu (Kalu), CEO of UP2Tech, Google ads at the fair mark a redefinition of the digital retail shopping experience. “The introduction of open standards for AI-driven commerce goes beyond a simple technological evolution.We are entering a new era where AI agents not only recommend products, but can complete an entire purchase within an intelligent conversation with the consumer”, he comments. “This eliminates barriers in e-commerce, such as forms and checkouts, and puts major technology platforms at the center of the experience, with great influence on who sees the product and how it is presented”.

Already to Konrad Doern, CFO of Quick Purchase, “It became clear to retailers at NRF that AI is already part of the buying research journey of most consumers, which makes it increasingly relevant to be well positioned in these new discovery environments. At the same time, data shows that even fewer than 1% of users trust agents today to make the purchase for them, indicating that the adoption of agentic commerce is still at an early stage. The Universal Commerce Protocol announced by Google emerges precisely as a catalyst for this transition, and the main challenge for retailers will be to be prepared, in terms of data, technology and experience, for when this trust begins to scale the executive. 

Rodrigo Murta, CEO of Looqbox, it analyzes the movement of Google and signals that Artificial Intelligence enters a more operational phase of retail. “We are talking about a technology that stops operating behind the scenes and starts to drive the buying journey. This shortens paths, reduces friction and changes consumer expectations. For companies, the challenge is not only technological, but structural: organizing data and processes so that this automation generates real efficiency and impact on the business”.