Shopify is going all-in on artificial intelligence.
During its third-quarter earnings call, the e-commerce giant described AI as an “incredible tool” for empowering entrepreneurs – and even called it the biggest technological shift since the internet.
And it’s not just talk.
Shopify says traffic from AI tools to its online stores has grown sevenfold since January, while purchases made through AI-powered search are up 11 times in the same period.
Shopify Bets Big on “Agentic Commerce”
According to Shopify President Harley Finkelstein, AI is no longer just a shiny add-on feature. It’s the foundation of how Shopify builds and operates.
“If you take away one thing from this call, let it be this,” he said. “AI is not just a feature at Shopify. It’s central to our engine that powers everything we build.”
Shopify has coined a new term for its AI-driven shopping vision: agentic commerce – where AI “agents” do the shopping, searching, and comparing on your behalf.
Imagine asking an AI to find you the best eco-friendly sneakers or recommend a new skincare brand, and it does all the work.
A Growing Network of AI Partnerships
To bring that future to life, Shopify is teaming up with several AI leaders, including:
- OpenAI (maker of ChatGPT) – to power in-chat shopping experiences.
- Perplexity AI – for conversational search and product discovery.
- Microsoft Copilot – to enhance shopping integration within productivity tools.
These partnerships make it easy to “bring shopping into every single AI conversation,” Finkelstein explained.
And according to Shopify’s internal survey, 64% of online shoppers are open to using AI tools when making purchases.
That’s a major signal that consumers are ready for this shift and Shopify wants to be the platform powering it.
Inside Shopify’s AI-First Culture
Shopify isn’t only building AI for merchants. It’s using it internally too.
The company’s AI tool, Scout, helps employees sift through hundreds of millions of pieces of merchant feedback, support tickets, and product reviews to make faster, smarter decisions.
Finkelstein says Scout is just the beginning:
“We’re developing tools to turn every signal – from social posts to Sidekick prompts – into informed decisions.”
This AI-driven mindset reflects Shopify’s “founder mode” culture: move fast, test ideas, and learn quickly.
Preparing for the Future of AI Shopping
Shopify knows the path to “agentic commerce” isn’t fixed.
Finkelstein admits the company is preparing for multiple directions AI-powered shopping could take, just like it did during the early days of social commerce and omnichannel retail.
“We’re building for whichever path wins,” he said confidently.
By laying the groundwork early, Shopify hopes its merchants will be ahead of competitors when AI-driven shopping becomes mainstream.
Financial Snapshot
| Metric | Q3 2025 Result | Year-over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2.84 billion | +32% |
| Profit | $264 million (20¢ per share) | – |
| Operating Income | $434 million | Slightly below $437M estimate |
Despite strong growth, Shopify’s stock dipped slightly after missing analysts’ expectations on operating income.
Still, the company’s leadership remains optimistic – especially about how AI will fuel the next phase of e-commerce growth.
A New Era for Entrepreneurs
Shopify’s message is clear: AI is reshaping commerce – and they want to lead the charge.
From AI-driven store traffic to smarter merchant tools, the platform is evolving fast.
For entrepreneurs, that could mean fewer barriers, faster insights, and more personalized shopping experiences for their customers.
As Finkelstein put it, “AI isn’t the future — it’s the present. And we’re all in.”
Key Takeaways
- Shopify calls AI the biggest tech shift since the internet.
- AI-driven store traffic and sales have surged in 2025.
- Partnerships with OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity fuel “agentic commerce.”
- Internal AI tools like Scout make faster product decisions possible.
- Q3 revenue jumped 32%, showing strong momentum despite minor profit misses.
