Google began rolling out direct checkout for Canadian shoppers in its Gemini app and Google Search’s AI Mode on November 4, allowing eligible purchases without leaving those services. The initial rollout includes lululemon, Shoppers Drug Mart, Simons and selected Shopify merchants, according to Google Canada’s announcement.
The service uses the Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP, to connect conversational product discovery with purchases from participating retailers. The initial merchant list is limited, and the announcement does not establish that every Canadian small retailer can participate now.
Google said shoppers could pay through Google Pay, using payment methods and shipping information saved in Google Wallet. Retailers would remain sellers of record, according to the company, and would continue to be responsible for fulfilling orders, CBC reported.
Google spokesperson Wendy Manton told The Canadian Press that retailers paid nothing to access the feature and that neither side exchanged fees when purchases occurred. Manton also said participation did not make those merchants’ products more likely to appear in Google’s results.
That distinction separates checkout access from visibility: joining the purchasing service does not, according to Google’s account, confer better placement. For small consumer-facing retailers assessing the channel, the immediate questions are whether they are eligible and what participation permits, rather than whether checkout alone will bring more customers.
Gemini can research an item and add it to a cart, but the final decision to buy remains with the shopper, The Peak reported. CBC also reported concerns from an unnamed policy expert that A.I. shopping could constrain consumer choice and give platforms access to purchase data.
For small retailers, the announcement describes a shorter route from discovery to purchase, not evidence of additional sales. Product discovery, access to checkout and a completed sale remain distinct steps when assessing the potential business consequences.
Google said it plans to work with retailers on additional capabilities, including loyalty rewards, in the coming months. Broader merchant access remains a future development: the company said it would begin expanding access in 2027 through simplified UCP integration within Merchant Center, allowing retailers to enable checkout for product listings across Gemini and AI Mode from their accounts.