Imagine sending a digital assistant to do your online shopping - browsing, comparing, and buying on your behalf while you get on with your day. That future is already arriving, and according to new research from PayPal, retailers are scrambling to catch up.
PayPal's first U.S. Agentic Commerce Pulse Survey, which gathered responses from 498 business decision-makers across small businesses, mid-market firms, and large enterprises, paints a striking picture of how quickly AI-driven shopping is reshaping retail - and how unprepared most merchants still are.
The bots are already browsing
Nearly 95% of merchants surveyed said they can already detect traffic coming from AI agents - systems like ChatGPT and Google Gemini that crawl and interact with online stores on behalf of users. That's not a future trend. That's happening right now, in real time, on their websites.
But here's the disconnect: while AI agents are clearly showing up to shop, most merchants haven't built the infrastructure to actually serve them well. It's a bit like renovating your entire storefront for foot traffic while ignoring the fact that customers are increasingly pulling up in cars and expecting a drive-through.
Why this matters for everyday shoppers
For consumers in their 20s and 30s who already lean on AI tools for everything from trip planning to recipe ideas, the leap to delegating purchases feels natural. The appeal is obvious - less time scrolling, fewer decision fatigue spirals, smarter price comparisons done automatically.
But if merchants can't properly support these AI agents - offering clear product data, frictionless checkout, and secure transaction flows - the shopping experience breaks down. And when AI shopping breaks down, it doesn't just inconvenience the bot. It inconveniences you.
An invisible storefront economy
PayPal's framing of this as an "invisible storefront economy" is apt. There's a whole layer of commercial activity building beneath the surface of traditional retail - one where the customer browsing your site might not be human at all. Merchants who recognise this shift early and adapt their infrastructure accordingly stand to win. Those who ignore it risk becoming invisible themselves.
The survey, reported by Fast Company, highlights a critical moment for e-commerce. AI-powered shopping isn't a niche experiment - it's becoming a mainstream channel, and the businesses that thrive will be the ones that design for both human and AI customers from here on out.
For shoppers, it's worth paying attention to how your favourite retailers respond. The ones investing in this now are likely the ones thinking seriously about your future experience - human or otherwise.
