Commerce Supports Universal Commerce Protocol, Plans to Offer Buying Directly Across Google's AI Surfaces
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Commerce (NASDAQ:CMRC), an open, intelligent ecosystem of technology solutions and the parent company of leading ecommerce platform BigCommerce and data feed optimization leader Feedonomics, today announced its endorsement of Google's new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).
The new, open-source standard creates a common language for agents and systems to work together across the entire shopping journey from discovery and buying to post-purchase experiences. So instead of building a new connection for every agent, they can all interact seamlessly providing merchants with a frictionless way to reach customers across the entire AI ecosystem.
"AI is rapidly reshaping commerce. Merchants need to make it easy for shoppers to go from discovery to purchase, or they risk losing sales," said Sharon Gee, senior vice president of product for AI at Commerce. "At the same time, keeping product data structured and enriched for AI can be resource-intensive. Our ongoing work with Google ensures merchants are not only present but competitive in AI-driven environments where consumers are searching and shopping."
To start, UCP will soon enable a new checkout feature on product listings in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, allowing shoppers to buy directly from eligible US retailers and Commerce merchants right as they're researching on Google.
"For agentic commerce to scale, it's critical for the industry to align on a common set of standards," said Ashish Gupta, vice president and general manager of merchant shopping at Google. "We are proud to have Commerce endorse the Universal Commerce Protocol as the foundation for that future."
Discovery is shifting from traditional search that returns results to a specific query to conversational answer engines with embedded buying opportunities. Agent-driven shopping generates more specific, higher intent queries with consumers who know what they want and are ready to purchase it. Merchants must be strategic about how they show up in answer engines and remove barriers that prevent shoppers from making a purchase.
As part of the collaboration, Commerce is building toward the protocol to allow merchants to:
- Enable buying directly within Google's AI experiences, helping to secure transactions at the moment of intent
- Remain merchant of record, retaining full ownership of the customer relationship and transaction data
- Future-proof their business with a unified open standard to power additional commerce actions
The UCP endorsement builds on the ongoing Google and Commerce partnership, utilizing Commerce's key differentiator: its Feedonomics-powered data enrichment layer. This layer structures and optimizes product feeds to align with Google's schema, dynamically enhancing titles, attributes, and taxonomy to ensure high-quality data that boosts product visibility, improves match rates, and conversion with the Google ecosystem.
Learn more about Google's new UCP here: https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/agentic-commerce-ai-tools-protocol-retailers-platforms/
Learn more about how Commerce is powering the era of agentic commerce here: https://www.commerce.com/agentic-commerce/
About Commerce
Commerce (NASDAQ:CMRC) empowers businesses to innovate, grow, and thrive by providing an open, AI-driven commerce ecosystem. As the parent company of BigCommerce, Feedonomics, and Makeswift, Commerce connects the tools and systems that power growth, enabling businesses to unlock the full potential of their data, deliver seamless and personalized experiences across every channel, and adapt swiftly to an ever-changing market. Trusted by leading businesses like Coldwater Creek, Cole Haan, Harvey Nichols, King Arthur Baking Co., Mizuno, Perry Ellis, SportsShoes and Uplift Desk, Commerce delivers the storefront control, optimized data, and AI-ready tools businesses need to grow, serve diverse buyers, and operate with confidence in an increasingly intelligent, multi-surface world. For more information, visit commerce.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.
BigCommerce®, the Commerce logo, and other brands are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BigCommerce Pty. Ltd. Third-party trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owner.
Media Contact:
Brad Hem
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