Microsoft recently introduced Copilot Checkout, a feature that lets customers make purchases right in Copilot chats. The company says this helps turn conversations into conversions, with no redirection or friction to drive customers away.
In addition to Copilot Checkout, the company also unveiled Brand Agents, which are AI-powered shopping assistants designed to guide customers throughout their buying journey.
What is Copilot Checkout?
In a recent blog post, Microsoft introduced Copilot Checkout, which turns Copilot from a place to simply research and compare products to a true retail companion that can handle every aspect of a buying journey, from initial inspiration to final checkout.
While the customers’ entire experience takes place within Copilot, your business still remains the Merchant of Record (MoF), and you still own all of the customer data and relationships.
As a result, you still own the transaction and make the sale, but your customer benefits from a frictionless experience where everything is handled in one place, instead of having to bounce from one place to discover products, another to research and compare them, and another to actually make a purchase.
The solution is beginning to roll out in the US, with partner activation across Stripe, PayPal, and Shopify. Merchants who want to onboard using Stripe or PayPal can apply directly, while Shopify merchants will be automatically enrolled and be able to sell in Copilot Checkout without any application or integration, but will be given an opt-out window if they don’t want to participate.
Many merchants will be available at the launch of Copilot Checkout, such as Urban Outfitters, Ashley Furniture, Anthropologie, and some Etsy sellers, with many more being added soon.
Also, as Copilot Checkout expands across the Copilot ecosystem through the likes of Bing, MSN, Edge, and others, there’s no need for you to complete any new setups or integrations.
Introducing Brand Agents
In addition to Copilot Checkout, Microsoft also recently introduced Brand Agents. These are AI-powered shopping assistants that guide your customers throughout their shopping journeys. Think of them like an ecommerce version of a knowledgeable brand associate who speaks in your brand’s voice, answers questions, and guides customers without being pushy.
These are deployed incredibly quickly and can help ensure your customers always have the answers to their questions quickly and effectively, without a lot of work on their part. According to Microsoft, sessions that were assisted with Brand Agents delivered not only higher engagement, but also stronger conversions, than sessions that didn’t feature them.
These agents provide intuitive conversations, ask proper follow-up questions, and help visitors narrow down products according to preferences, intent, and fit. They can also support various post-purchase moments such as upselling, suggesting add-ons, or recommending products related to what someone has already bought.
If you want to tailor your AI experience more deeply than with a turnkey solution like Brand Agents, you can also use Microsoft’s personalized shopping agent template, which offers a fully customizable framework and gives you more control over the experience.
The Benefits of Microsoft’s Agentic Shift
These newly-introduced agentic commerce solutions that Microsoft has unveiled offer obvious benefits for customers who desire quick, frictionless, and streamlined shopping experiences, but also provide plenty of advantages for ecommerce brands.
Firstly, Copilot Checkout gives you the ability to not only meet the customer where they are (in a Copilot chat) but also to reduce as much friction as possible in the buying experience, to make the customer more likely to convert.
If they have to go from the chat to your store, navigate your site, and then go through your checkout, each of those touchpoints is another potential chance for cart abandonment. By keeping everything in one place, the experience is seamless and may help you make more sales.
Copilot Checkout also offers expanded reach for your products, is very simple to get started with, and ensures you still maintain ownership of customer data and the relationship as a whole.
Brand Agents, on the other hand, help your ecommerce store offer 24/7 customer support and assistance, offer personalized product recommendations, and ensure your brand voice is consistent across experiences.
Also, Brand Agents integrated with Microsoft Clarity deliver actionable insights about customer shopping behavior, track key performance metrics, and help you better understand the performance of your agent-assisted sessions vs. non-assisted sessions.
I also believe that Brand Agents are a great way to take advantage of the benefits of AI, while still maintaining your company’s unique brand voice and experience.
