Technology Category
On September 24, 2026 Amazon began rolling out free multichannel selling tools in Seller Central for sellers in the US store. They can connect four outside channels, import listings and fulfil orders through Amazon.
Why it matters
It tries to keep independent sellers inside Amazon's tools and fulfilment network even when they sell elsewhere.
On September 22, 2026 Shopify and Meta announced one-tap Shop Pay checkout inside Meta's Muse AI assistant for Shopify stores, reachable through the Muse app or WhatsApp.
Why it matters
It makes a social and messaging platform a place where shopping starts and ends, so merchants may be reached by an agent rather than a search or an ad.
On September 28, 2026 Shopify extended WebMCP to checkout so agents can read and update the checkout in a shopper's browser tab. The shopper confirms before the order is submitted.
Why it matters
It sets a rule for agent shopping on Shopify stores: the agent prepares, the buyer approves, and payment goes through Shop Pay.
On June 24, 2026 Salesforce said its Shopper, B2B Buyer and Merchant Agents are generally available, with ChatGPT and Google integrations scheduled for the summer.
Why it matters
Retailers can put an agent on their own storefront, in B2B channels and in back-office work, and plan for shoppers arriving through AI assistants.
At unBoxed 2026 Amazon Ads described one buying experience that replaces the separate DSP and Ads Console, with a conversational agent, Full-Funnel Campaigns and a unified display, video and audio product called DVA+.
Why it matters
Retail-media buyers get one place to plan and buy, but also hand more decisions on channel mix and creative to Amazon's automation.
Adobe's October 1, 2026 outlook projects a 130% rise in AI-referred traffic to US retail sites. It says AI-referred shoppers add to cart 32% more often and bring 43% more revenue per visit.
Why it matters
If the reversal holds, AI assistants are becoming a sales channel, not only a source of curious visits, which raises the value of showing up accurately in AI answers.
Commerce
A digital commerce platform is software for running an online store: product catalogs, carts and checkout, orders and payments, and the integrations around them.
