Shopping ExperiencesFriday, November 13, 2026
Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol with major retailers to enable AI agents to handle discovery, purchase, and support, currently powering live agentic checkout in Google AI Mode and Gemini for U.S. shoppers.
Chef Robotics has produced over 44 million meals in U.S. and Canadian production kitchens using its ChefOS system to handle variable ingredients, while preparing for a 2025 U.K. launch under a Robotics-as-a-Service model.
Major retailers and payment networks launched agentic shopping assistants and tokenized payment protocols in 2025, enabling autonomous price tracking and automated purchases.
Fresh Thyme Market extended Afresh's AI platform from produce to deli and prepared-foods departments to reduce waste through auto-ordering and shelf-life sensing.
Symbotic has begun installing its first SymMicro system in the back of a Walmart store for e-commerce fulfillment, with the site expected to be operational in about six months.
Fabric has introduced Orchestra, an AI-native platform that coordinates inventory, labor, and delivery to improve inventory turnover and margin protection.
