AI is transforming the way e-commerce operates, making it smarter, more personal, and more autonomous. Its impact is widespread, both for the business and for the user, in particular. While it is evident that AI can improve many store processes to boost conversion, the question we are asking here is what is happening in the preceding process, that is, in the search process.
Recently, Gonzalo Casado, CEO of Upango, participated in the webinar organized by Sales Layer that discussed "Agentic Commerce: How to increase the visibility of your Fashion and Footwear Catalog in AI search engines"
Below, we summarize the most relevant points from the webinar.
How is AI impacting the fashion and footwear sector?
It is estimated that between 20% and 40% of searches that influence purchasing decisions are already being executed by AI.
The main reasons are:
· Its analysis capability, which allows it to offer hyper-personalized experiences and real-time adjustments (prices, promotions, stock...). Improves conversion.
· It understands intent and relevance in searches, offering results tailored to the user's needs. Better user experience (UX).
· It is capable of making decisions and negotiating terms on behalf of the user, based on their budget, preferences, or conditions. Greater agility and efficiency.
· 24/7 customer service. Increased customer satisfaction.
Given this scenario, the challenge for fashion and footwear brands is to convert their catalog into a commercial asset prepared for AI and agentic commerce. In other words, the brand must be understandable, citable, and recommendable by AI even before the user knows what shoe, what look, or what brand they need.
How does agentic commerce influence user experience?
Through agentic commerce, the user no longer depends on keywords and can ask exactly what they need. This turns the search phase into a more consultative, fast, and personalized process.
· The AI agent asks the right questions, understanding the user's context, guiding them towards the correct product and offering compatible products: improves product mix and cross-selling.
· It performs preliminary comparisons before proposing a solution to the user, reducing steps in the purchasing process; greater customer satisfaction.
How does agentic commerce affect the product catalog?
AI and its application to online stores are forcing e-commerce managers to redefine their product catalog strategy.
Its positioning has historically been linked to classic SEO factors: keyword selection, product sheet optimization, and category architecture.
With AI-based models, where visibility does not only depend on correct indexing but on being interpreted and prioritized by systems that generate responses, the catalog must be able to answer three questions:
- Can AI understand your products?
o Consistent information.
o Descriptions.
o Visible attributes.
o Category structure.
- Does the market trust your brand, your online store, and your products?
o Number of reviews.
o Depth of reviews.
o UGC.
o PR, media, and affiliates.
- Do you appear in the purchasing questions that users are asking ChatGPT?
o Detailed content.
o Post-sales content.
o Related purchases.
o Guides.
We are moving from an SEO-based model to an AEO – Answer Engine Optimization – model.
The catalog ceases to be functional and becomes a strategic asset.
Developing a catalog prepared for agentic commerce involves strategically managing product data.
· Greater depth of information, covering as many use cases as possible.
· AI's ability to compare, configure, validate, and make purchases requires the most detailed product description possible. We are no longer just talking about search but about integrated purchasing in the process.
· Catalogs become information sources thanks to protocols like MCP, ACP from OpenAI, and UCP from Google and Shopify.
What competitive advantages does agentic commerce offer to the fashion and footwear sector?
· Improves UX (user experience) by creating a conversational scenario that guides the customer to the optimal product, ordering results and establishing priorities. Conversion time is shorter, and the conversion rate increases.
· The AI agent stores your tastes, preferences, and previous searches, anticipating your needs and offering new suggestions. Upselling and cross-selling increase.
· AI allows for market trend analysis, providing valuable information for wholesale orders: replenishments, specific catalogs by geographic area, etc.
· Acts as a post-sales department, providing information related to orders, changes, and suggestions for other products.
· Supports marketing campaign design and segmentation.
We are in a new era where the catalog must be handled differently, boosting the use of PIM and using AI to generate information that AI can understand.
If you want to know if your catalog is ready for agentic commerce, contact us at hola@upango.es and we will send you the link for the study.
Thanks to Sales Layer for including us in this strategic initiative for the growth and sustainability of B2B online businesses.