According to media reports, Gap is collaborating with Google's Gemini, enabling consumers to complete their checkout process directly on the AI platform. This makes Gap the first major fashion retailer to partner directly with the tech giant specifically to drive the development of "agentic commerce."
As an increasing number of shoppers abandon traditional search methods in favor of AI platforms for product discovery, retailers are compelled to re-evaluate and adapt their marketing models to remain competitive and precisely capture customer needs. Gap's partnership with Gemini was forged against this very backdrop.
"It’s not just about keyword searches anymore, right? It’s about conversational interactions now, so we need to be relevant within those conversations," stated Sven Gerjets, Gap's Chief Technology Officer, in a media interview. "For instance: 'I’m getting ready for a wedding—what should I look out for?' Or: 'I have a job interview coming up—what style of clothing should I wear?' All of these scenarios require us to make corresponding adjustments."
When shoppers search on Gemini for a new pair of jeans or a well-fitting oversized hoodie, and the platform determines that specific Gap products meet those criteria, customers can purchase items from Gap's family of brands directly within the Gemini interface—without ever having to navigate away to Gap's official website.
Notably, the product information displayed to shoppers is not scraped from Gap's website; rather, it consists of detailed data that the retailer has proactively provided to Gemini. This approach aims to ensure the accuracy of product information while enabling Gap to continuously collect customer data and maintain greater control over the customer shopping experience.
If a customer decides to purchase an item, they can complete the checkout process using Google Pay, while shipping and all other related logistics remain the responsibility of Gap.
Gerjets revealed that Gap is currently still testing the various features of this service but anticipates officially rolling it out to customers "very soon." In addition, Gap plans to integrate a new AI-powered sizing tool called Bold Metrics. Designed to help customers quickly find the right size while shopping online, this tool is set to be rolled out to consumers in the near future.
Amidst unprecedented competition in the specialized retail sector, Gap’s partnership with Gemini—along with its advancements in customer-facing AI tools—has provided the brand with a significant competitive edge. The broader fashion market is currently becoming increasingly fragmented, and industry competition is intensifying rapidly.
From an industry perspective, provided a retailer's website possesses data that an AI platform can access, those products stand a chance of appearing in chat results whenever the platform determines that the company's offerings align with a shopper's specific query. However, retailers must simultaneously invest substantial effort to ensure their products are accurately displayed within these relevant results.
For instance, if a shopper searches for a dress on an AI platform, and a specific company happens to offer such products, that brand could still miss out on the sale if the underlying Large Language Model (LLM) is unable to access or interpret the product's data.
While most major enterprises are currently utilizing and deploying AI in various forms, Gap’s primary competitors have not yet announced similar partnerships with Gemini.
Gerjets noted that Gap’s newly launched "agent commerce" model is currently in its initial phase and will undergo continuous iteration and refinement over time.
He further explained that, for the time being, customers are unable to link their loyalty accounts or redeem rewards points when conducting transactions on the platform. While this may cause some minor inconvenience for existing customers, Gerjets indicated that adding this functionality in the future remains a distinct possibility.
"We will continue to enhance the user experience and roll out the features our customers want; that is absolutely central to our product roadmap and future direction," Gerjets stated. "I view this as merely the first step in our collaborative effort to truly craft the perfect intelligent commerce experience for our customers."
**The AI Battleground in Retail**
Gap’s partnership with Gemini unfolds against the backdrop of OpenAI’s previous engagements; although OpenAI had signed similar agreements with companies such as Walmart and Etsy, it subsequently withdrew its plans to offer direct in-app checkout services.
Although the number of users utilizing AI platforms for product discovery is steadily rising, this demographic still constitutes a minority of the overall shopper base. Furthermore, it remains unclear how many customers are truly willing to complete their entire checkout process directly within a Large Language Model (LLM) interface. Some shoppers may feel apprehensive about entering their credit card information into an AI platform, while others may prefer to shop directly within a retailer's app, where their store credit cards and loyalty points are already stored.
However, given shoppers' long-standing history of interacting with Google—and the fact that Google’s systems already store payment information for many customers—some shoppers may feel more at ease using Gemini to check out compared to newer AI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
In terms of platform functionality, Gemini is also more advanced in certain respects. Google recently released updates enabling users to access real-time product data, thereby effectively preventing issues such as out-of-stock items or pricing errors. Furthermore, shoppers can add multiple items to their cart on Gemini and, in some instances, link their loyalty cards—two features that OpenAI has not yet fully implemented.
Gerjets added that OpenAI and Gemini utilize two distinct "intelligent commerce protocols." The "Universal Commerce Protocol" employed by Gap on Gemini aims primarily to give merchants greater control over the overall shopping experience, whereas OpenAI’s "Intelligent Commerce Protocol" places a stronger emphasis on the product discovery phase.
"This space is evolving at a breakneck pace... We are all growing and learning together; no one knows what it will look like five years from now, who will ultimately emerge victorious, or just how fragmented this landscape might become," Gerjets remarked. "For us, collaborating with all the players involved is absolutely critical, because our genuine desire is to meet our customers' needs."
