At the NRF 2026 Conference, I had the opportunity to see Microsoft’s latest innovations firsthand: the Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents features.
Seeing Microsoft roll out its first agentic experiences within Copilot feels like stepping into the future. With Copilot Checkout, I can now shop seamlessly without leaving the conversation, making it easier to switch from browsing to buying.
What’s more intriguing is the introduction of Brand Agents for Shopify sites. Imagine having an AI chat that’s trained on your product catalog, offering personalized shopping experiences that echo your brand’s unique voice. It’s a smart solution for fast and scalable implementation.
Copilot Checkout. I’m excited to share that Copilot Checkout is starting its U.S. rollout on Copilot.com. This feature allows conversational purchases directly within your current chat and integrates with partners such as PayPal, Shopify, Stripe, and Etsy.
For Shopify merchants, enrollment in Copilot Checkout is automatic, though opting out is possible. Non-Shopify merchants interested in joining can apply through a dedicated form.
Check out a glimpse of how it works:
Brand Agents. Now available for Shopify merchants, Brand Agents bring your brand’s voice into every interaction online. I was impressed to see how it leverages a brand’s product catalog to provide crystal-clear answers to product-specific inquiries.
The AI speaks in your brand’s voice, seamlessly guiding customers from browsing to purchasing, and can be set up in just a few hours. Microsoft shared with me that sessions assisted by Brand Agents show higher engagement and conversion rates.
Here’s a video showcasing Brand Agents in action:
Brand Agents insights. Microsoft is innovatively using Microsoft Clarity to provide insights into Brand Agents conversations, helping merchants understand and optimize performance.
Once I activated Brand Agents, I found myself equipped with additional insights to compare and optimize agent-assisted sessions against organic traffic, reinforcing my growth strategies.
Here is where you can view these insights:
Google and OpenAI. It’s fascinating to see how Google and OpenAI are also embracing agentic experiences. Google has introduced agentic checkout, whereas OpenAI announced its Instant Checkout in ChatGPT. Together, these developments mark a significant industry shift towards direct purchasing through AI experiences.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
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