Google Launches Universal Cart at I/O

Google unveiled its new Universal Cart at Google I/O 2026, introducing an AI-driven shopping system designed to work across Search, Gemini, YouTube, Gmail, and participating retail partners.

The feature marks a major move towards “agentic commerce”, where Google’s AI not only suggests products but also helps users manage purchases, track pricing, find discounts, and eventually complete transactions within its ecosystem.

Universal Cart is positioned as a persistent shopping tool that follows users across Google services. Items can be added while browsing search results, chatting with Gemini, watching YouTube content, or even reading emails in Gmail, with everything collected into a single unified cart.

Once items are saved, the system continuously monitors pricing changes, stock availability, and relevant offers. Google says this background intelligence is powered by its Gemini models, with performance expected to improve as the technology develops further.

A key aspect of the system is its proactive functionality. Rather than simply storing items, Universal Cart is designed to actively support decision-making by flagging product compatibility issues, suggesting alternative items, and highlighting potential savings or loyalty rewards.

Google has also confirmed integration with Google Wallet, allowing the cart to access payment methods, loyalty schemes, and merchant-specific promotions during the checkout process.

Early rollout partnerships include major retailers such as Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, Wayfair, and a range of Shopify-based stores, with further expansion planned over the summer period.

One of the more notable use cases is for complex shopping scenarios. For example, users building multi-component purchases such as custom PC setups can receive compatibility guidance before completing checkout, helping reduce purchasing errors.

The launch is also closely tied to Google’s broader Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which aims to create a shared framework for commerce data and AI agents across platforms.

Google stated that UCP is already gaining traction among retailers and tech partners. It is designed to streamline cross-platform checkout processes while still allowing merchants to remain the official seller of record.

Expansion plans for UCP include rollout into Canada and Australia, with the UK scheduled to follow. Google also intends to bring the system into YouTube in the US, along with additional categories such as hotel bookings and local food delivery services.

This broader infrastructure push may ultimately be more significant than the cart itself, as it connects discovery, advertising, payments, and fulfilment into a single ecosystem powered by AI.

For advertisers and retailers, the implications are significant. Google appears to be shifting more of the shopping journey directly into its own platforms, reducing reliance on external retailer websites for product discovery and checkout.

This means brands with strong product feeds, accurate stock data, competitive pricing, and well-optimised Merchant Center setups are likely to benefit most from increased visibility across Google’s AI shopping surfaces.

It also reinforces the growing importance of structured product data, as Google continues to rely heavily on it to power personalised and automated shopping experiences.

The inclusion of YouTube is particularly noteworthy, as it further integrates video content into the commerce journey. This strengthens the platform’s role not just as an awareness channel but as a direct driver of purchasing behaviour.

From a marketing perspective, this shift could also change how performance is measured, particularly around attribution, assisted conversions, and cross-channel customer journeys, as more activity happens within Google’s own ecosystem.

While Universal Cart is still in its early stages, the direction is clear. Google is moving beyond product recommendations and into full purchase enablement, gradually taking on a larger role in how users discover, evaluate, and buy products online.

For brands and advertisers, this is likely to reshape both visibility strategies and the way success is measured across the entire shopping funnel.