Google officially stepped up the AI-commerce arms race last week with Shop AI: a great leap forward featuring intelligent search, agentic checkout, and virtual try-on tools. It’s sleek, fast, and marks a definitive shift away from the traditional shopping journey.

This isn’t merely an enhancement to how we search – it’s fundamentally redesigning how people discover and buy, all within a single, fluid experience.

By positioning itself alongside OpenAI and Perplexity, Google is sending a clear message: the future of retail is borderless. Every screen, scroll, and digital touchpoint now holds the potential to become a fully functioning storefront.

In today’s commerce landscape, convenience isn’t a luxury – it’s a battleground.

Modern consumers aren’t waiting to be chased; they expect brands to meet them where they are, on their terms, and without friction. Every scroll, swipe, or second spent with content is a moment of possibility. The question is: are we making the most of it?

Consumer expectations have changed dramatically. We live in an always-on culture. Choice is abundant yet attention is scarce. The opportunity for brands lies not just in capturing attention, but in converting it – instantly. This is where frictionless commerce becomes not just a nice-to-have, but a necessity.

Why content still falls short

Marketers are experts in storytelling, media strategy, and creative execution. Yet when it comes to turning attention into action, the journey often breaks down. Marketers pour millions into building brand equity and awareness, but too often, the next steps – exploration, consideration, and purchase – are left to chance or siloed into separate campaigns.

Part of the challenge lies in the false division we’ve long held between content and commerce. We think of content as the thing that inspires, and commerce as the thing that converts. But in today’s digital economy, those two functions must work hand in hand, not as separate lanes in a funnel.

What if the content was the storefront?

The root of the issue lies in an outdated mindset: content and commerce have been separated for too long. But what if content could be the storefront? What if we could shorten the path from engagement to purchase? Imagine there were no redirects, no dead ends. Just seamless action.

This isn’t just a theoretical exercise. Consumers are already experiencing and expecting it. Social media platforms are rolling out native shopping experiences as we speak. Streaming platforms are experimenting with interactive product placements. And now the lines between media, content, and commerce are all but blurred.

The market has spoken

Thanks to advances in commerce media, particularly shoppable content, that future is already here. Google’s recent introduction of ‘Shop with AI Mode’ is just one of many signals that experiences blending discovery with transaction are no longer experimental. They’re expected. And they aren’t just tech novelties; they’re the new standard.

From luxury fashion brands to fast-moving consumer goods, companies across industries are embracing this trend. Their goals? Collapse the funnel. Turn every impression into a potential transaction. Enable customers to act the moment they’re inspired – because delay kills conversion.

Shoppable content: collapsing the funnel

Shoppable content is media that performs double duty. It enables consumers to explore pricing, compare products, check availability, and make purchases – all within the content itself. There’s no jumping to a different site, no lost momentum, no clunky checkout flows.

With the right technology, shoppable capabilities can be embedded directly into creative assets, transforming every piece of content into a performance engine. The outcome? More conversions from the same media spend.

It also provides a treasure trove of real-time data. Marketers can track not only views and clicks, but actual purchase behaviour. This leads to smarter retargeting, sharper segmentation, and better ROI. In short, it transforms media from a cost centre into a growth engine.

From entertainment to enablement

Content can no longer be designed just to entertain or inform. It must enable. The most valuable creative now captures attention and converts it – effortlessly, natively, and in the moment.

This shift marks a powerful evolution in what content is meant to do: not only to engage but to serve as an instant action trigger. It’s about functionality as much as it’s about storytelling. And it’s about creating a user experience that feels intuitive, seamless, and smart.

Less friction, not more personalisation

The brands that will lead the next wave of marketing success won’t be those who personalise better, but those who remove friction faster. As Google’s Messy Middle research shows, the path to purchase is unpredictable. Consumers loop through exploration and evaluation in a nonlinear journey. Brands must be ready to act the moment inspiration strikes to ensure business outcomes are met.

Friction isn’t just about slow websites or complicated checkouts. It’s about context switching. It’s about asking customers to leave one experience to complete another. The more steps you add, the more conversions you lose. Shoppable content eliminates these breaks. It keeps the customer immersed and in control.

This isn’t just smart marketing; it’s a strategic reset. It bridges the divide between short-term performance and long-term brand building. It empowers marketers to turn existing media into revenue-driving assets, without needing more content.

Add to cart

Every piece of content is a potential conversion point. In a digital economy where speed and convenience rule, friction is the enemy. If your content can inspire and convert, why settle for one without the other?

This is not about replacing creativity with conversion. It’s about enhancing it. It’s about aligning content with intent, and empowering consumers to act the moment they feel ready.

The only question left is: want shoppable with that?

By Nick Morgan, founder and CEO, Vudoo

This article was first published by Media Week