Shopify is preparing for a massive transition in how consumers buy online. According to company president Harley Finklestein, the global e-commerce giant is heavily backing “agentic shopping” as the next major growth engine for digital retail.
Speaking at the Upfront Summit in Los Angeles, Finklestein outlined a future where AI-powered personal shoppers replace traditional search bars, acting as the new primary entry point for online buyers.
Quick Facts
- Shopify is prioritizing AI-driven agentic shopping experiences.
- U.S. online retail purchases currently sit at just 18%.
- New AI tools will boost independent merchant product discovery.
The Move From Search to AI Personal Shoppers
Despite being the second-largest e-commerce provider in the U.S. behind Amazon, Shopify acknowledges that online retail still has vast room for growth. Finklestein noted that only about 18% of U.S. retail purchases happen online, a metric the company believes AI agents can aggressively increase.
The initial rollout will be gradual, but the vision centers on agentic personal shoppers that discover, buy, and compare products far more effectively than current systems.
Finklestein explained that AI agents bring vital context to the buying process, an area where traditional search engines currently struggle.
Using athletic footwear as an example, he pointed out that standard searches for “sneakers” typically surface major retail chains like Footlocker. However, an agentic shopper that learns a buyer’s preference for specific brands—such as On running shoes—will prioritize those exact preferences in future queries.
“Agentic is fundamentally merit-based as opposed to, if you go to a search engine, you type sneakers, you’re going to see Footlocker,” Finklestein said.
Because these chat applications generally do not operate on commission, Finklestein argued they serve as more authentic personal shoppers, showing consumers only the items they are most likely to buy.
Building AI Tools for Independent Merchants
Beyond consumer-facing agents, Shopify is actively developing infrastructure to support its sellers.
The company is currently building Sidekick, an AI assistant specifically designed for merchants.
Shopify is also developing agents to handle customer support issues and establishing protocols that allow external AI agents to easily read and understand merchant data, including granular product details.
Finklestein emphasized that product discovery remains a core struggle for many sellers on the platform. Agentic shopping is expected to solve this by surfacing emerging brands directly to high-intent buyers.
“We’re probably more excited about this particular new era of commerce than we have ever been because we think it’s just going to create so much opportunity,” he said, adding that the benefits will extend beyond massive retailers to the long tail of independent merchants.
What Agentic E-Commerce Means for the MENA Tech Scene
While Shopify’s immediate metrics focus on the U.S. market, the pivot toward agentic shopping holds direct implications for the MENA region’s rapidly scaling e-commerce ecosystem.
Startups and established retailers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt rely heavily on platforms like Shopify to scale their digital storefronts. As AI shopping agents become the new standard for product discovery, MENA-based merchants will have an unprecedented opportunity to bypass traditional digital marketing monopolies and reach global consumers based strictly on product merit and user preference.
Furthermore, regional AI startups developing retail tech, conversational commerce, and customer support bots will need to align with this agentic framework to remain competitive in the broader market.
About Shopify
Shopify is a leading global commerce company that provides essential internet infrastructure for digital retail. It is currently the second-largest e-commerce provider in the United States, empowering millions of merchants worldwide to build, scale, and operate businesses across both online and physical channels.
Source: TechCrunch
