How AI Transforms E-Commerce Strategies

There's a quiet revolution happening in the world of content and discovery, and we're barely talking about it. 🚨 SEO as we've known it is quickly becoming obsolete. AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Grok, and Claude are reshaping how buyers research, especially in high-involvement e-commerce sectors like consumer tech. Andrej Karpathy recently highlighted this perfectly: "It’s 2025 and most content is still written for humans instead of LLMs. 99.9% of attention is about to be LLM attention, not human attention." Imagine a buyer exploring a high-value product—say a premium smartwatch or a flagship smartphone. Rather than sifting through dozens of links, they're now simply asking: "Which smartwatch is better for health tracking: Fitbit Sense or Apple Watch Ultra?" This isn't hypothetical; it's happening right now. AI assistants are increasingly trusted as expert advisors that simplify complex product comparisons. For brands, this changes everything: ✅ Traditional SEO and "ranking #1 on Google" is no longer enough. ✅ AI agents handle the discovery process, dramatically shortening the consumer journey. ✅ Businesses must now optimize their content not only for human eyes but also for AI interpretation. (As Erik Wikander put it beautifully) A few eye-opening shifts already happening: 📉 Review platforms like G2 and StackOverflow have lost significant traffic post-ChatGPT. (Elena Verna) 📉 Big players like HubSpot, Figma, and Canva are seeing declining organic traffic as AI directly answers user queries. (Oliver Molander) 📉StackAI now receives more inbound from ChatGPT & Perplexity than from Google (Antoni Rosinol) The implications for Ecommerce and consumer tech brands are massive: Your product content must become "AI-native," meaning it's structured clearly enough for AI tools to pull and recommend. Content needs precise differentiation and expert-level detail because the AI gatekeepers are getting smarter at recognizing genuine value vs. fluff. As Tomasz Tunguz has highlighted, expect the emergence of AIO (AI Optimization)—the next evolution of content strategy where you're optimizing not just for search engines but for a multitude of personalized AI assistants serving diverse ICPs. In short, the future belongs to those who understand how to capture the attention of AI agents first, and users second. Traditional SEO is fading. We're entering a world where personal AI agents will act as gatekeepers, curating hyper-relevant content tailored exactly to individual needs and preferences. This demands a radical reimagining of CX tech stacks, particularly around product discovery, comparison, and commerce journeys. At Swirl®, we're addressing precisely this challenge by building specialized AI Agents—transforming customer experience into dynamic, personalized, and AI-optimized experiences. If your brand is navigating this shift and looking for ways to stay ahead, let's talk. #artificialintelligence #Ecommerce #AIO #SEO

ChatGPT just integrated shopping directly into their platform, showing transparent product recommendations with direct purchase links. It's a feature which has completely changed how people discover products. I've been watching this space for years, and I think AI shopping is going to shake up eCommerce harder than anything we've seen since Meta ads took off a decade ago. Brands right now are panicking about how to optimize for algorithms they don't understand. However, there's no playbook yet. Unlike Google, where you can pay your way to the top, AI shopping recommendations (at least for now) are based purely on merit. No ads nor affiliate kickbacks, just product quality. Smart founders will recognize this isn't an SEO problem, it's a product problem. When algorithms become the gatekeepers of commerce, your entire strategy needs to shift: - Invest in true product differentiation, not just marketing spin - Double down on genuine customer reviews and satisfaction - Focus on driving measurable outcomes for your users The brands that will thrive aren't optimizing for keywords, they're creating products that deliver undeniable results. This is the biggest shift in commerce since social ads so don't waste time waiting for the "AI shopping agency" playbook. By then, the algorithms will have already chosen their winners.

The next wave of eCommerce isn’t a channel shift—it’s a mindset shift It’s not about adding more SKUs. It’s about deploying agents to do the work for you. And Amazon just showed us what that future looks like. Here’s the quiet rollout everyone should be watching: Amazon’s “Buy for Me” feature just launched. No commission. No inventory risk. No need to leave the app. Just AI agents shopping on your behalf—across Amazon and 3P sites. This isn’t a feature drop. It’s a signal: The shopping journey no longer ends with Amazon—it starts with Amazon’s agent. Let’s break it down for the kids in the back.. The Old Way of Thinking Consumers browse → compare → check out. Retailers fight for the last click. The New Playbook AI agents collapse that path. They find, compare, and transact for the user. Amazon is becoming the AI operating system for commerce—not just the store. Why it matters: (3) 1️⃣ AI is the new interface – It’s not just ChatGPT. It’s commerce. 2️⃣ This expands reach without SKU risk – Amazon grows without holding inventory. 3️⃣ It positions Amazon as the most valuable first step – Because the agent starts there. What I’d do if I were a brand: (3) → Design (A/B test) your PDPs and product content for AI agents, not humans. → Don’t obsess over last-click. Obsess over first-query. → Rethink what “distribution” means in a world where AI does the browsing. This is the beginning of agentic commerce. It’s early 2025 (April). We’re just getting started. Ways to reach us: Pattern® (eCommerce accelerator) The CPG View (podcast) The Retail eCommerce Club (community) The eFramework (eCommerce MBA) Subscribe to The Retail Media View: 👇🏼 https://lnkd.in/etsfcm-S #amazon #aiagents #ecommerce #retailmedia #digitaltransformation #cpg #shoppinginnovation #retailtech #pattern #retailecommerceclub

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹: 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱—𝗔 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 AI is reshaping retail from the shelves to the supply chain. It’s not just about automation—it’s about anticipation. 📦 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 that aligns with real-time demand 🛍️ 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 powered by behavior analytics 🤖 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 across chat, voice, and in-store kiosks 💡 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 in seconds, not days 📊 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 adapting to market shifts instantly The retailers thriving in 2025 will be those that treat AI not as a tool, but as a strategic co-pilot. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 → 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 → 𝘁𝗼 𝟭:𝟭 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 → 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗜-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 But success isn’t just about plugging in models. It’s about embedding AI in the retail DNA across people, processes, and platforms.  • Frictionless shopping through cashier less stores powered by AI  • Real-time customer service with AI chatbots available 24/7  • Personalized product recommendations that drive conversion and loyalty  • Smart pricing strategies that adapt dynamically to market demand  • Accurate demand forecasting using predictive analytics, social media insights, and search trends  • Efficient fulfillment systems that adapt to stock changes and optimize order routing  • Smart shelves and carts for a smoother in-store experience  • AI-powered security systems to prevent theft and manage risk  • Sustainable practices using AI to reduce packaging waste and minimize excess inventory Retailers: The question isn’t “should we adopt AI?” It’s “how fast can we scale it responsibly?” Curious to explore how AI can unlock new growth for your brand? Let’s connect. I’d love to share what’s working—and what’s next. Follow Dr. Rishi Kumar for similar insights! ------- 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 - https://lnkd.in/dFtDWPi5 𝗫 - https://x.com/contactrishi 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 - https://lnkd.in/d8_f25tH #AI #RetailInnovation #GenerativeAI #CustomerExperience #AIinRetail #DigitalTransformation #RetailTech

Are you keeping up with the AI marketing shifts that are reshaping how brands connect with consumers? Here’s a breakdown of the key trends you need to know: 1- Hyper-Personalization at Scale AI is turning mass marketing into one-to-one experiences. By analyzing real-time data, brands can deliver tailored interactions that drive engagement and loyalty. 2- AI-Powered Content Creation Content production is no longer a bottleneck. AI tools generate, optimize, and scale content across platforms—faster, smarter, and with greater consistency. 3- Conversational AI is Reshaping Engagement Chatbots and virtual assistants aren’t just answering questions. They’re building relationships, automating sales, and providing seamless customer experiences 24/7. 4- AI-Optimized Advertising AI is redefining paid media. From real-time targeting to automated bidding, brands are seeing higher returns with AI-driven ad strategies. 5- The Future of SEO is AI-Driven Search algorithms are evolving, and AI helps brands stay ahead. From predictive insights to content optimization, AI-driven SEO is the key to organic growth. 6- Video Marketing Meets AI AI-powered tools streamline video editing, automate captions, and personalize video content, making video marketing more efficient and impactful than ever. 7- Predictive Analytics is the Competitive Edge AI doesn’t just track consumer behavior—it predicts it. Smarter insights lead to better decisions, stronger retention, and more effective marketing strategies. 8- Voice Search is Changing How We Find Information With the rise of voice assistants, brands need AI-driven voice search optimization to stay discoverable in a voice-first world. 9- Visual Search is Reinventing E-Commerce Consumers are searching with images, not just text. AI-powered visual search makes product discovery seamless and more intuitive. 10- AI is Transforming Influencer Marketing AI identifies real engagement, filters out fake followers, and ensures partnerships are backed by data, not guesswork.

Now that we're halfway through 2025, where do we stand with AI for Retail? AI = New Competitive Moat for Retailers - Incumbents like Amazon and Walmart are using AI to reinvent customer experience, logistics, pricing, and personalization. - Open-source models and global competition (notably from China) lower the barrier for smaller players to adopt cutting-edge tech. AI-Powered Consumer Discovery is Mainstream - ChatGPT’s growth and capabilities are disrupting how customers discover products—search behavior is changing fast. - Generative AI is being integrated into search (Google), recommendation engines, and digital shopping assistants. Personalization at Scale Is Now Table Stakes - AI enables ultra-personalized messaging, product curation, and promotions—critical in email, SMS, and ecommerce experiences. - Segment-of-one marketing is becoming real-time and predictive, not reactive. AI Reshaping Ops & Labor - Brands like Yum! (Byte by Yum!) are using AI to optimize inventory, kitchen ops, scheduling, and staffing decisions. - Retailers can now reduce SG&A and improve store-level profitability by automating repeatable decisions. AI Voice & Translation → Global Expansion Leverage - ElevenLabs and Spotify show that real-time AI voice translation is viable—enabling retailers to localize at scale without human translators. - Big unlock for global DTC growth with minimal operational overhead. AI Infrastructure Is the New Storefront - Companies are rethinking their digital stack: AI copilots, LLMs, and autonomous workflows are becoming embedded in ecommerce platforms. - NVIDIA and others frame AI infrastructure as the next era of retail IT—akin to cloud adoption in the 2010s. CMO + CTO Alignment More Critical Than Ever - 75% of global CMOs are already using or testing generative AI tools. - Success requires alignment across data, content, and experience design to fully activate these capabilities. (Source: BOND)

OpenAI Just Fired the Next Shot in the E-commerce War ChatGPT is about to become more than just your AI assistant; it's evolving into a full marketplace competitor that could reshape how we shop online. Here's what's happening: • OpenAI is developing native checkout functionality within ChatGPT • Users will complete entire transactions WITHOUT leaving the chat interface • OpenAI takes a commission on each sale (reportedly <5% vs Amazon's ~15%) • Shopify is powering the backend infrastructure Who cares? ✅ For Consumers: Seamless shopping through conversation—ask, discover, buy, done. ✅ For Merchants: Lower fees than traditional marketplaces + AI-powered discovery ✅ For the Industry: Another seismic shift in how we think about search, discovery, and transactions The bigger picture: This isn't just about shopping, it's about AI platforms becoming the new retail real estate. Just like we optimized for Google SEO, brands will now need to master "AIO" (AI Optimization) to appear in ChatGPT recommendations. We're watching the birth of conversational commerce at scale. Amazon built an empire on search and logistics. OpenAI is betting on conversation and AI curation. The question isn't whether this will disrupt e-commerce, it's how quickly traditional players will adapt. What's your take? Are we ready for AI-first shopping experiences? H/T to Austin Jones and the team at Cleveland Research Company for the excellent analysis on this development.

Everyone's talking about AI. But who's actually using it? I've been experimenting with AI in my e-commerce agency. Not for the hype. For real results. Here are 3 ways we're leveraging AI to drive success on Amazon: 1. Main Image Idea Generation We use AI to rapidly create dozens of concept variations. Our designers aren't replaced. They're supercharged. Starting from AI concepts, they refine and perfect. Result? Faster ideation. More diverse creativity. 2. Filling Asset Gaps No budget for lifestyle shots? Need quick A/B test variations? AI fills those gaps. It's not replacing pro photography. It's solving the "we need it now" moments. 3. Scaling Custom Designs This is the game-changer: We take human-designed templates and use AI to adapt them across massive catalogs. One client with thousands of SKUs went from 6 months to 2 weeks for a full refresh. Same brand consistency. Fraction of the time. Here's what we've learned: • AI excels at generating options • It multiplies human creativity • The magic is AI speed + human taste But let's be real: • 100% of AI images need human refinement • Brand strategy remains purely human • Your best converters will still be pro-crafted The winners aren't just using AI. They're using it strategically to scale what works. What's your experience with AI in e-commerce? Seeing real ROI or still experimenting? Drop your thoughts below 👇 P.S. If you're an Amazon brand looking to scale with AI-powered creative, let's connect. Because beyond a certain point, more AI doesn't equal better.

AI May Have Killed the Homepage The brand website has always been the center of gravity in commerce. It was where story met content and product, where control lived - from UX to checkout. But that model may be breaking. AI agents like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are beginning to collapse the funnel. Discovery, recommendation, and transaction now happen in a single interface, often without the buyer ever landing on the site. If that trend holds, UX won’t matter as much as data. Structured, enriched, real-time product data - delivered via feeds and APIs - may soon be the deciding factor in whether a product shows up at all. We could be shifting from optimizing for humans to optimizing for models. When we built Magento, the thesis was control. Give merchants full ownership of their experience and let them compete. But if the interface moves upstream to the model, that control may become less relevant. The website becomes a reference layer. The new entry point is the AI interface. Discovery and commerce are being reshaped in real time. The shift will look subtle - until it’s not. What would you build differently if the customer never visited your site? ~~

Over many years of refining digital marketing strategies to drive customer acquisition, retention, and brand awareness, I’ve witnessed a significant evolution in Google algorithms and the tactics employed to optimize advertising performance. Yet, the fundamental objective remains the same: achieving profitable visibility by delivering the right message to the right audience at the optimal moment. Initially, the focus centered on Search Engine Optimization, which has since lost some of its value. Strategies shifted toward optimizing bid and buy management. More recently, the adoption of tools like Google Performance Max (P-Max) and Target ROAS to increase return on ad spend targeting has enabled more precise, profit-focused allocation of advertising budgets. Today, we are entering a new phase marked by the rapid rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). A recent analysis from Andreessen Horowitz highlights this shift, noting that AI-driven search sessions now average six minutes, compared to traditional search sessions that typically last under 30 seconds. This change fundamentally transforms how brands engage with customers and allocate marketing resources. Increasingly, people are turning to LLMs to search for products or make informed purchasing decisions. LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity aren’t just displaying links; they’re synthesizing answers. They’re becoming the destination, rather than just being a path to it. Brands are already getting thousands of clicks, signups, and purchases driven by these AI recommendations. That influence will only grow as trust in generative search results increases. So it’s no longer just about where the brand ranks in Google, but whether it’s being referenced by the LLMs people turn to for answers. If your brand isn’t embedded in what these models know, that means you’re not part of the conversation. For industrial distributors, this is especially critical. When a procurement team asks AI about suppliers or certifications, there is often a single comprehensive response, and your brand is either mentioned or invisible. Smart distributors are already adapting. They are creating content that models can easily parse, ensuring they are represented in trusted industry sources, and tracking their AI visibility or reference rate, the way they once tracked search rankings. Customer research habits are evolving, and businesses need to adapt accordingly. To ensure that potential buyers find accurate information about your company or products, take proactive steps to manage your digital presence. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eadRJqkW