Zalando unveils an AI shopping agent for other retailers, Mastercard partners with OpenAI, and more - Retail & Ecommerce AI Weekly #5
In this edition, covering 29 October to 4 November:
- Zalando unveiled an AI shopping agent that will let customers buy products from other retailers through its app.
- Mastercard is partnering with OpenAI on AI shopping agents, and Stripe launched Link Balance for AI agent spending.
- Amazon reported third quarter sales of $201.9 billion, up 12% year over year.
Shopping agents
Zalando unveiled an AI shopping agent for buying from other retailers in its app, is testing it with Westwing and plans AI assisted checkout on Extended in 2027. A Baymard study of 2,273 US online shoppers found that 63% prefer AI chatbots for product research and 60% have lower purchase confidence when product images are AI generated. Zalando · Baymard
Jobber now lets US service businesses be found and booked through AI Mode in Google Search, without lead fees. Jobber
Microsoft Clarity added Agentic Analytics, which shows how AI agents use a retailer's website and whether they complete tasks. Microsoft Clarity
Taiwantrade launched ASTRA, an AI assistant that helps international buyers find Taiwanese suppliers and send automated quote requests. Taiwantrade
Payments for AI agents
Mastercard is partnering with OpenAI to support AI shopping agents through its Agent Pay infrastructure and signed a memorandum of understanding with Tencent's TenPay Global to explore agentic payments. Stripe launched Link Balance, which lets consumers fund dedicated balances and set spending limits for AI agents, starting with Instinct and using stablecoins on Tempo. Mastercard · Stripe
Amazon
Amazon reported third quarter sales of $201.9 billion, up 12% year over year, as AWS revenue rose 39% to $46 billion and operating income reached $28.1 billion. Amazon
UK MPs and peers urged Amazon and eBay to remove toys with built in AI chatbots; Amazon is removing one product. AI toys
Also
Andavi Solutions bought Bengaluru based Infilect, whose image recognition spots shelf problems for consumer goods brands. Rokt says onX now builds predictive audiences in one day instead of two weeks. Hostie's AI concierge now takes commission free takeout orders by phone and text. Infilect · Rokt · Hostie
Veho launched Pulse AI, which turns delivery data into answers on service performance for ecommerce brands. Veho
MercadoLibre raised its AI spending by $30 million from the previous quarter and says AI search revenue more than covers its model costs. MercadoLibre
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The weekly on AI in retail and ecommerce: shopping agents, online stores and marketplaces, checkout, and AI inside physical stores.