Users Can Now Shop Inside Gmail 📩

Plus: Walmart rolls out 4 AI ‘super agents’ 🤖, while Edible Arrangements launches non-edible online store 🎁.

July 30, 2025

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Shopping straight from your inbox might’ve sounded wild a few years ago — but hey, it’s 2025, and Gmail’s now a storefront.

Hi there, and welcome to a fresh new issue of The Ecom Press 🗞️!

In today’s issue, we spotlight Google’s update to both Gmail and Chrome while Walmart is releasing an army of AI agents to boost its ecommerce growth. Also, Edible Arrangements goes non-edible with its digital storefront launch for non-perishables.

Strap in — we’ve got plenty to unpack! 🚀

In a rush? Here's the juice🤭:

📩 Google makes Gmail shoppable and Chrome smarter for shoppers.

🤖 Walmart rolls out 4 AI ‘super agents’.

🎁 Edible Arrangements launches digital marketplace for non-perishables.

🚀 Ecom strategies: 5 ecommerce marketing moves to boost sales

⚡️Worthy Mentions

📩 Google makes Gmail shoppable and Chrome smarter for shoppers.

Source: Campaign Asia

Google is doubling down on ecommerce with two AI-powered updates — one for Chrome, and another for Gmail. Gmail’s promotions tab is being tested as an interactive, shoppable storefront that brings product discovery directly into the inbox.

Meanwhile, Chrome is adding AI-generated store summaries to help shoppers make faster, more informed decisions. Both moves point to Google’s intent to weave ecommerce more deeply into everyday user experiences.

🛍️ Interactive Shopping Carousels: Google is testing ad formats in Gmail’s promotions tab that expand into swipeable product galleries. These include:

  • Product images

  • Prices

  • Ratings

  • Tags like “Free shipping”

  • Users can browse and shop directly inside Gmail.

📬 Rethinking Inbox Advertising: Traditionally a quieter, segmented tab for marketing emails, the promotions tab could now become an ecommerce channel in itself.

📈 Opportunity for Brands: This new format builds on Gmail Annotations and aims to increase visibility and click-through for promotional campaigns, especially from ecommerce brands.

⚠️ Mixed User Sentiment

Some users worry this could increase inbox clutter and blur the lines between emails and ads. Google may have to introduce opt-out controls or clear visual boundaries.

🧪 Part of a Bigger Test: If successful, this shoppable format may expand to other Google surfaces like YouTube and Discover.

🛒 Instant Store Credibility Checks: Chrome users in the U.S. can now view AI-generated summaries about ecommerce sites before buying. The reviews will cover:

  • Customer service responsiveness

  • Product quality

  • Shipping speed

  • Pricing fairness

  • Return policies

All summaries are compiled from reliable third-party sources like Trustpilot, Bazaarvoice, ScamAdviser, Yotpo, and more.

⚙️ Browser Integration, No Extra Clicks: Just click the icon beside the website URL to trigger the summary, no need to open new tabs or dig through reviews.

💻 Desktop Only (for Now): This feature is rolling out to Chrome desktop first. No timeline has been provided for mobile or non-English support.

🎯 Competitive Push Against Amazon: With Amazon already leveraging AI for review summaries, sizing, and product suggestions, this move keeps Google competitive in ecommerce utility.

Why it matters 🤨

These updates definitely potentially introduce new pathways in the buyer's funnel, trust and conversion may now be won (or lost) before a user even clicks through. It’s not just about targeting anymore, but about proximity. If Gmail becomes your storefront and Chrome becomes your review engine, brands need to optimize upstream visibility just as much as their product pages.

Source: ChatGPT Image Generator

Walmart is going all in on agentic AI with the launch of four AI “super agents” aimed at revolutionizing how customers shop, employees work, and developers build. The move is part of Walmart’s strategy to make ecommerce 50% of its total sales within five years.

The four super agents are ⬇️:

🛍️ Sparky: Already live in Walmart’s app, Sparky helps shoppers with product suggestions and review summaries. It’s set to evolve with features like event planning, smart reordering, and recipe suggestions using computer vision, all delivered in a seamless conversational flow.

👷 Associate Agent: Coming soon, this tool will allow Walmart employees to access resources like schedules, sales data, or HR requests from one place. Instead of switching between multiple AI tools, staff will interact with one centralized assistant.

📦 Marty: Designed for sellers, suppliers, and advertisers, Marty will simplify onboarding, order management, and campaign creation, consolidating complex processes into one streamlined interface.

💻 Developer Agent: Walmart’s internal tech teams will use this to test, build, and launch software faster. It acts as the backbone of Walmart’s future AI tool ecosystem.

Walmart also brought in former Instacart exec Daniel Danker to lead AI acceleration as EVP, tasked with scaling these efforts globally.

Why it matters 🤷‍♂️

Walmart’s super agents aim to unify fragmented workflows and customer touchpoints into one seamless interface. Just as CTO Suresh Kumar put it, “Customers are ready.” And with AI becoming the default point of interaction, ecommerce brands still juggling disconnected systems may soon feel outdated.

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Edible Arrangements has teamed up with tech-forward gifting platform Goody to launch a new digital marketplace on Edible.com. This curated experience allows customers to pair Edible’s signature products with premium, non-perishable gifts like sauces, candles, and beverages from brands such as Carbone, Ghia, and Homesick. 

The integration enables same-day digital delivery via a personalized e-card, with Goody handling fulfillment across the U.S.

Here are the deets ⬇️:

🧺 Fresh product lineup: Edible’s new marketplace brings non-perishable, food-adjacent items directly into its online storefront. These include third-party gifts like artisanal condiments and curated home items that pair well with Edible’s iconic fruit arrangements.

📬 Instant digital delivery: When a gift is ordered, the recipient instantly receives a personalized digital card, creating emotional impact before the package even arrives. This lets senders deliver a meaningful gesture without relying on same-day shipping.

🚚 Third-party fulfillment: By offloading fulfillment to Goody, Edible can now serve customers in areas without local storefronts, without stressing inventory or delivery operations.

🧪 A testing ground for trends: The partnership offers Edible a fast way to experiment with new categories and track customer preferences, positioning them for long-term diversification beyond perishables.

🛒 Goody makes a DTC debut: Known for its success in corporate gifting, Goody is stepping into consumer-facing retail for the first time, bringing its deep catalog and Commerce API to a broader audience.

Why it matters 🧐

Edible is quietly reshaping itself into a modern digital gifting platform, with less focus on geography and more on emotional reach. By combining curated third-party goods with instant delivery touchpoints, Edible is making gifting more seamless and scalable. It’s a compelling example of how brands can expand product depth and national footprint without adding operational drag.

🛎️ The Ecom Press Insider

Source: ChatGPT Image Generator

Ecom Fact: A recent study revealed that 43% of shoppers abandon purchases if Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) isn’t available, and another 42% downgrade their cart to cheaper alternatives (Source: PYMNTS).

💡 Takeaway: Today’s shoppers want payment flexibility, especially at higher price points. Even if BNPL isn’t in your toolkit yet, consider offering tiered pricing, limited-time discounts, or bundling to ease sticker shock and keep carts intact. The goal is to reduce friction at checkout, whatever your scale.

🚀 Ecom strategies: 5 ecommerce marketing moves to boost sales

Tired of throwing spaghetti at the wall with your marketing? These five strategies are proven, practical, and scalable no matter your budget or business size. Whether you're solo or scaling, these moves can help you close more sales, retain more customers, and boost average order value without burning out. Let’s dive in:

🛒 Reduce Abandoned Carts: Abandonment happens, but you don’t have to accept it. Set up automated cart recovery emails, highlight free shipping thresholds, and simplify your checkout flow (guest checkout is a must). Even offering a small, limited-time discount can push hesitant buyers across the finish line. These tweaks alone can recover up to 15% of lost carts.

📸 Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC): When real customers become your marketers, magic happens. Showcase photos, reviews, and testimonials directly on your site and social feeds. UGC adds authenticity and boosts trust, especially important when trying to convert first-time visitors. Bonus: it’s content you don’t have to create yourself.

📬 Capture More Email Subscribers: Use compelling lead magnets like first-order discounts, giveaways, or “VIP-only” perks to grow your list. Once they’re in, make sure your welcome flow is solid: who you are, why you matter, and what they’ll get from sticking around.

🧠 Embrace Personalization: The more relevant your store feels, the more likely people are to buy. Show browsing-based recommendations, run product quizzes, or send personalized follow-ups based on past orders. With so many plug-and-play personalization tools available, this is a low-effort, high-reward play.

📦 Sell Product Bundles: Bundles make buying a no-brainer. They help simplify decision-making, increase cart value, and move slower inventory. Group bestsellers with accessories or offer tiered bundles to give buyers options. Highlight the savings and convenience, and people love feeling like they’re getting more for less.

⚡️Worthy Mentions

Wrapping up…

From emails turning into storefronts to Walmart building an AI-powered squad, the lines between tech and commerce are blurring faster than ever.

And let’s be honest — when your inbox is a shopping mall, and your chatbot knows your size, the future isn’t near. Who knows what’s next 🤷‍♂️?

Well, let’s see what unfolds next week, but until then, stay curious, subscribe if you haven’t, and share with a friend or two 🥳.