Google UCP, AI Checkout, and the New Question for Retailers: Who Owns the Customer?

Google UCP, AI Checkout, and the New Question for Retailers: Who Owns the Customer?

Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol and the rapid rise of AI agents that can search, decide, and complete checkout on a customer’s behalf mark a real inflection point for retail. These systems promise speed and convenience at a scale individual brands could never deliver on their own. Fewer steps mean higher conversion, and for retailers under constant pressure to reduce friction, that’s an appealing trade. But beneath the efficiency gains is a…