Are consumers quietly abandoning Google? Goldman Sachs: AI becomes a new gateway for shopping, and the retail landscape may be reshaped.

AI platforms are replacing traditional search, becoming a new entry point for e-commerce traffic—forcing brands and retailers to restructure their digital strategies.

At the Shoptalk retail industry summit held recently in Las Vegas, Goldman Sachs analysts Brooke Roach and Kate McShane pointed out that the starting point for consumers to shop is undergoing a structural shift, and AI platforms are evolving into a new entry point for commercial transactions.

Over the past few months, the trend of consumers starting their shopping journey outside brand websites or search engines has accelerated. U.S. apparel retailer GAP disclosed that consumers driven by AI agent channels show stronger purchase intent and higher conversion rates; the company has proactively entered the space rather than waiting and watching.

This trend creates double pressure for brands and retailers: they must quickly establish an AI channel presence while also meeting the challenge of waning consumer trust in AI-generated content. Brands that complete AI channel rollouts first are likely to gain an advantage in the next round of traffic reshuffling.

Traffic entry points shift; search engines face challenges to their status

At the Shoptalk meeting, multiple retailers and consumer brands said in concentrated terms that consumers’ shopping starting points are moving from traditional search engines to AI platforms, and that this change has clearly accelerated in recent months.

GAP positions itself as an early mover and has joined the early partner program for Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol. The protocol lets merchants embed loyalty programs, promotions, and cart functionality directly into the large language model environment rather than redirecting to generic external pages, thereby preserving the completeness of the brand experience in AI interaction scenarios.

For retailers, the rise of AI channels means traditional traffic logic must be rebuilt. The competitive advantages previously built on Google search rankings and prominent Amazon shelf placement face the risk of being reshaped in AI-driven shopping scenarios.

Brands accelerate deployment of AI shopping tools

Several consumer brands have already disclosed progress in deploying AI shopping tools.

Beauty retailer Sephora announced it will launch a dedicated app within ChatGPT, where users can connect their accounts to receive personalized beauty recommendations based on personal information such as skin type and shade matching. Management said the company is conducting experimental exploration of its ecosystem, using AI as a new channel extending its core positioning as a “trusted beauty advisor.”

Paint brand Behr partnered with Google Gemini to launch a paint visualization tool, helping DIY home-improvement consumers overcome difficulties in choosing colors and boosting confidence in purchase decisions.

Home improvement retailer Home Depot introduced a shopping agent called Magic Apron, providing consumers with quick answers for home improvement projects. Lowe’s, meanwhile, provides personalized recommendations to both store employees and consumers through its AI assistant MyLow. Management noted that consumer expectations have changed—they are no longer satisfied with keyword-matching search results and instead expect comprehensive answers.

Goldman Sachs analysts noted that building brand relevance in a large language model environment is a fundamentally different challenge from traditional search engine optimization. LLM crawlers capture content differently than classic search crawlers, and they are blocked more frequently, meaning brands need to develop entirely new content strategies for AI platforms.

Authenticity becomes a scarce asset; consumers doubt trust in AI content

Despite the rapid spread of AI shopping tools, the trust issue surrounding AI-generated content has begun to emerge, becoming a key topic discussed by the participating brands.

Reddit pointed out at the meeting that consumers’ trust in online information has continued to decline. Users tend to reject content generated by AI that simply rephrases information from other sources, and instead seek answers based on real usage experiences.

American Eagle Outfitters emphasized the need to continuously test marketing creative and pay attention to consumer feedback. The company said AI-generated content must be clearly labeled on the platform to prevent consumers from believing the brand’s intent is misleading, thereby maintaining brand integrity.

In AI channel development, the balance between the speed of technical deployment and managing consumer trust will be the key variable determining real conversion results.

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