E-Commerce — E-Commerce Brands Split on AI Agent Traffic Strategy as Authenticity Becomes the New Marketing Currency

E-Commerce · 2026-04-30

TODAY'S SIGNAL — A strategic fault line is emerging in e-commerce: how to handle AI agent traffic. Vessi is optimizing for it through "answer engine optimization" (AEO) and clean product data, while Carve Designs is actively blocking AI agents — two opposing bets on whether LLM-driven discovery will become a meaningful commerce channel. This split mirrors a broader tension visible across today's…