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E-Commerce · Daily Brief
·5 min read
ByJoseph Lancaster, Editor
Signal
Stories
Ulta Beauty and Google announced a partnership making Ulta's products available for purchase directly through Gemini's agentic commerce functionality. Google has embedded this capability in both its AI Mode search interface and within Gemini itself. The partnership includes two AI offerings: agentic commerce enabling direct transactions and additional AI-powered discovery features. (Digital Commerce 360, April 22, 2026)
Impact · This is among the first major retailer integrations with Google's agentic commerce layer, establishing a new purchase pathway that bypasses traditional search-click-browse-buy funnels. If consumers begin transacting through AI agents at scale, product data feeds, structured content, and AI-readiness become as critical as SEO was a decade ago. Brands not integrated into agentic commerce platforms risk losing visibility entirely — the agent makes the recommendation, not the search results page.
Action · Audit your product data completeness and structured markup immediately. Begin conversations with Google and your commerce platform about agentic commerce integration timelines. If you sell in beauty or adjacent categories, study Ulta's integration as a template for what Google will likely extend to other verticals.
Dick's Sporting Goods partnered with Adobe to launch AI-powered 'digital coaches' in its mobile app. The agents offer sport-specific training tips and function as AI agents designed to expand personalization across digital and in-store channels. Adobe described them as part of a broader cross-channel personalization strategy. (Digital Commerce 360, April 22, 2026)
Impact · This signals a shift from AI as a backend optimization tool to AI as a customer-facing engagement layer. By offering domain-specific coaching — not just product recommendations — Dick's is using AI to create ongoing utility that drives app retention and purchase frequency. For e-commerce operators, this raises the bar on what 'personalization' means: it's no longer about showing relevant products, but about providing ongoing value that keeps customers inside your ecosystem.
Action · Evaluate whether your brand has domain expertise that could be packaged into an AI-powered advisory or coaching experience. If you operate in a category with knowledge-intensive purchases (fitness, home improvement, cooking, etc.), explore Adobe's or competing platforms' agent capabilities for customer-facing deployment.
Walmart unveiled a new enterprise business selling its in-house maintenance services — including plumbing and facilities management — to other companies across the U.S. This follows Walmart's existing enterprise businesses in advertising (Walmart Connect), data (Walmart Luminate), and fulfillment (Walmart GoLocal and Walmart Fulfillment Services). (Modern Retail, April 23, 2026)
Impact · Walmart continues to monetize every layer of its operational infrastructure, following the Amazon playbook of turning internal capabilities into revenue-generating services. For e-commerce professionals, this reinforces that Walmart's competitive moat extends far beyond retail — it is building a services ecosystem that creates deep dependencies with third-party businesses. Brands and retailers selling on or competing with Walmart should recognize that each new service line strengthens Walmart's data network and partner lock-in.
Action · Map Walmart's full enterprise services portfolio and assess where your business could benefit from — or be threatened by — deeper integration. If you operate physical retail locations, evaluate Walmart's maintenance offering against your current vendors on cost and coverage.
Software company Aptean announced 10 new AI agents on its AppCentral platform, specifically designed for manufacturers and distributors that have not yet migrated to the cloud. The agents target operational workflows in manufacturing and distribution environments. (Digital Commerce 360, April 22, 2026)
Impact · This matters for B2B e-commerce professionals because it brings AI agent capabilities to the long tail of industrial businesses still running on-premise systems — a massive segment that cloud-first AI tools have largely bypassed. As these businesses gain AI-assisted operations, expect faster order processing, better demand forecasting, and more sophisticated B2B buyer experiences from suppliers who previously lagged digitally.
Action · If you sell to or source from manufacturers and distributors, ask your key partners whether they're adopting AI agent tools like Aptean's. Improved operational AI at the supplier level can unlock better inventory visibility, faster fulfillment, and more dynamic pricing in your own supply chain.
At the Modern Retail Marketing Summit, Marine Layer CMO Renee Lopes Halvorsen described the brand's strategy of combating digital saturation by investing in print catalogs and whimsical physical pop-up experiences. The approach is a deliberate counter to over-reliance on digital channels. (Modern Retail, April 23, 2026)
Impact · As AI agents begin intermediating digital discovery and purchase (see Ulta-Google), brands that invest in tactile, memorable physical experiences may find themselves with a durable competitive advantage that agents cannot easily replicate or disintermediate. Marine Layer's move reflects a broader trend: the most differentiated customer relationships may increasingly be built offline, while digital becomes an AI-optimized commodity channel.
Action · Reassess your channel mix allocation. Test a small-scale print catalog or physical activation in Q2 and measure incremental customer acquisition cost versus your most saturated digital channels. The economics of physical touchpoints may have shifted as digital CPMs and competition intensify.
Pattern
WHAT TO WATCH (Next 30-90 Days): (1) Google agentic commerce expansion — Monitor which retailers follow Ulta into Gemini's transactional layer. If Google announces 5-10 more retail partners by mid-summer, agentic commerce readiness moves from experimental to urgent. (2) Walmart enterprise services adoption — Track whether Walmart discloses customer counts or revenue from its maintenance services business; any traction validates further service unbundling. (3) Adobe vs. Google vs. Salesforce in retail AI agents — Dick's chose Adobe, Ulta chose Google. Watch for Salesforce's counter-move and whether retailers begin consolidating on a single AI agent platform or run multi-vendor strategies. (4) Print and physical channel ROI data — If brands like Marine Layer publish results from catalog and pop-up campaigns, it could trigger a broader reallocation of marketing budgets away from digital-only strategies. (5) B2B AI agent adoption rates — Aptean's bet on non-cloud businesses is a leading indicator. If adoption is strong, expect competing ERP and commerce platforms to release similar on-premise AI agent packages, accelerating AI penetration in the B2B supply chain.
Sources
The Intelligence Layer