Research · · By Peter Abidi
AI will hunt this Black Friday's deals. America's biggest stores aren't ready.
Shoppers are about to send AI to find the best price and buy it for them. We asked eight AI assistants the questions shoppers ask about 200 US retailers and direct to consumer brands, and checked each site for the standards AI agents use to find products and check out. Here is what we found, the full table and exactly how we did it.
+130% Adobe's forecast for AI traffic to US retail sites this holiday season, against last year.
The biggest stores are picking which AI can sell for them
Not being ready for every agent is not the same as being absent from AI. The largest retailers are doing deals with one or two assistants instead of opening their doors to all of them.
Big retailers ready for an AI agent to check out
Of the NRF Top 100 sites we could read, only Academy Sports + Outdoors and IKEA publish the open standards AI agents use to browse a catalog and buy: a Universal Commerce Protocol manifest or a storefront MCP endpoint. Direct to consumer brands did better, 14 of 54, most of them through Shopify.
Big names selling inside Google's Gemini instead
Walmart, Target, Nike, Coach, Ulta Beauty and Wayfair have checkout in Gemini and Google's AI Mode through direct deals with Google. On the four of their sites we could read, we found no open agent checkout that any AI could use. The giants are choosing which AI gets to sell their products.
Nike blocked our crawler on nike.com, yet sells through Gemini checkout.
Amazon tells every major AI assistant to keep out
Amazon's robots.txt turns away the crawlers and shopping agents of ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Meta, while it runs its own assistant, Alexa for Shopping, formerly Rufus. It sued Perplexity over its shopping agent, blocked Meta's new Muse agent in September, and Elon Musk says his Grok Bot is blocked too. Amazon's chief executive, Andy Jassy, says few customers shop through outside agents yet.
Sites that give agents no clean way to read price and stock
Deal hunting agents compare price, availability and SKU. On 82 of the 102 sites we could read, we found no public product feed and no product data in the page code that carries them. Feeds sent privately to Google or OpenAI are not visible to us, so some of these brands will still reach those two.
The welcome sign is up. The door is locked.
Half the sites we checked turned our crawler away, even though almost all of them say in writing that AI crawlers are welcome.
Sites that turned our crawler away
86 of 200 sites blocked our crawler outright and 12 more would not load: 52 of the 100 big retailers and 46 of the 100 direct to consumer brands.
Including The Home Depot, CVS, Walgreens, Macy's, Sephora, Chewy, Nike, Brooks Running and Hydro Flask.
Blocked sites whose robots.txt says AI is welcome
A site's robots.txt is where it tells AI crawlers to stay out. Of the blocked sites whose robots.txt we could read, 58 do not block a single AI crawler there. The block comes from bot protection that turns away automated visitors it cannot verify. Agents such as Grok Bot and Meta's Muse shop by opening sites in a browser, the way a person does, so they may meet the same wall. We have not yet tested those agents on these sites.
What a locked door means for shoppers
Our crawler is not an AI shopping agent, but the bot protection that stopped it does not care who is asking. Here is what that means for anyone who sends AI to shop this holiday season.
Where the agent runs decides whether it gets in
Some agents, Meta's Muse among them, open sites in a browser that runs in the AI company's own cloud. To a retailer's bot protection, that looks like any other data center traffic, so these agents are the most likely to be turned away. Agents that work inside the shopper's own browser, such as ChatGPT Atlas and Perplexity's Comet, use the shopper's own connection and look much more like a person. The same Black Friday deal could be within reach of one assistant and invisible to another.
Brands can stay guarded and still sell
Google's Universal Commerce Protocol and OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol give agents a front door the brand controls, so they can ask for products, prices and checkout without scraping the store. That is how Walmart, Target and Nike sell inside Gemini today. Bot protection is not the problem. Having no front door at all is.
Out of the answer, out of mind
When an assistant cannot buy from a brand, the shopper has to leave the conversation and go direct. Some will. Many will take the next best option the assistant can buy. Repeat that through a holiday season and a brand that is missing from AI starts to slip out of the habit, and then out of mind.
An opening for whoever gets there first
Every sale a locked site turns away goes to a competitor an agent can buy from, whether that is a rival down the street or a fast growing brand on the other side of the world. Nobody owns that space yet. We found no agent checkout at Shein or Temu either, though Temu's robots.txt names the crawlers of ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity and lets them in. Whoever makes buying easy for agents first will win the sales the locked sites leave on the table.
"This is the first Black Friday where lots of people will ask an assistant to find the deal and buy it. If your site turns that assistant away, you don't get a second chance. The shopper buys from whoever let it in. America's biggest brands have every right to be guarded, and the new protocols let them do that and still sell. The ones doing neither risk being forgotten, and their competitors, whether they're down the street or overseas, will happily take their place."
Peter Abidi, founder of Human ForwardAsk AI about the brand, get the dictionary
Every assistant was asked a plain question shoppers type: "What is [brand]?" For brands named after everyday words, many answered about the word.
Assistants that think Purple is a color
Ask "What is Purple?" and seven of eight assistants describe the color, not the mattress company. Brands named after everyday words lose their name to the dictionary.
ChatGPT, asked "What is Purple?""Purple is a color that lies between blue and red on the visible spectrum…"
Assistants that think Minnetonka is a city
Minnetonka the moccasin maker loses to the Minnesota suburb. Six assistants take STX, the lacrosse brand, for a cryptocurrency. Osprey loses to the bird, Columbia to a poetic name for America, Daisy to the flower, Yeti to the Abominable Snowman and Cotopaxi to an Ecuadorian volcano.
Mistral's Le Chat, asked "What is Old Town?""Old Town is a historic neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia…"
State by state
Where the brands in our list are headquartered, ranked on how many are set up for an AI agent to check out. Washington, home to Amazon, Costco, Microsoft, Nordstrom and REI, scores 98 on AI answers, joint highest, yet none of them has open agent checkout. Massachusetts has none among its 11.
| # | State | Brands | Agent ready | Blocked our crawler | Avg AI answers | Ready for agents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 5 | 1 | 1 | 98 | Burton |
| 2 | Maine | 5 | 1 | 1 | 81 | Tom's of Maine |
| 3 | Colorado | 6 | 1 | 5 | 92 | Altra |
| 4 | Texas | 12 | 2 | 3 | 89 | Supergoop!, Academy Sports + Outdoors |
| 5 | Oregon | 6 | 1 | 4 | 87 | On |
| 6 | Utah | 6 | 1 | 2 | 72 | Cotopaxi |
| 7 | New York | 21 | 3 | 10 | 85 | Brooklinen, Harry's, Clinique |
| 8 | California | 39 | 5 | 19 | 90 | e.l.f. Cosmetics, Skims, Liquid Death, Alo Yoga, Allbirds |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 10 | 1 | 5 | 80 | IKEA |
| 10 | Washington | 6 | 0 | 2 | 98 | None |
| 11 | Michigan | 4 | 0 | 2 | 96 | None |
| 12 | Illinois | 7 | 0 | 5 | 92 | None |
| 13 | Arizona | 4 | 0 | 2 | 92 | None |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 11 | 0 | 4 | 89 | None |
| 15 | Maryland | 5 | 0 | 2 | 88 | None |
| 16 | Ohio | 7 | 0 | 5 | 87 | None |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 5 | 0 | 3 | 87 | None |
| 18 | Missouri | 4 | 0 | 2 | 85 | None |
| 19 | Minnesota | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83 | None |
| 20 | North Carolina | 4 | 0 | 3 | 81 | None |
| 21 | Arkansas | 5 | 0 | 3 | 75 | None |
States with four or more brands in our list of 200. Samples are small: one brand moves a state several places. Agent ready counts sites where we found a UCP manifest or a storefront MCP endpoint.
Your brand isn't on the list? Most of America's shopping happens at brands far smaller than these. Run the same check on your store, free, and see how you rank against these 200.
Also in the data
Outdoor and athletic brands lead on readiness
7 of the 25 outdoor and athletic sites we could read are set up for agents to buy, against 16% across all 200: On, Altra, Alo Yoga, Allbirds, Cotopaxi, Burton and Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Vermont: all five brands we checked, Burton, Concept2, Darn Tough, King Arthur Baking and Orvis, scored 97 or more.
Regional grocers no assistant named
Asked for the best supermarkets in the United States, no assistant named Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, Market Basket, Schnucks, Weis Markets, Ingles Markets, Raley's, Stater Bros or Food Lion. Albertsons, one of the country's biggest grocers, was left out too. National questions favor national names.
Perplexity is the hardest to get into
Asked for the best brands of a kind, Perplexity named a brand in our list 72% of the time and ChatGPT 74%. Claude did 82% and Google's Gemini 81%.
The full table
Ranked on AI answers, so sites that blocked our crawler still rank. AI answers is a score out of 100 across all eight assistants. Named unprompted is how many of the eight listed the brand when asked for the best brands of its kind. Agent ready means a UCP manifest or a storefront MCP endpoint was found on November 2, 2026; hover over Not checked for what it means. Elsewhere in AI is what the brand does in AI shopping beyond its own site, live features only; "eligible" means its platform offers it, not that the brand has confirmed it.
| # | Brand | Kind | State | AI answers | Named unprompted | Agent ready | Elsewhere in AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chewy | online pet supply retailer | FL | 100 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Cai assistant in beta |
| 2 | e.l.f. Cosmetics | affordable makeup | CA | 99 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 3 | Specialized | bicycle | CA | 99 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 4 | Brooklinen | bed sheet | NY | 99 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 5 | King Arthur Baking | flour and baking | VT | 99 | 8 of 8 | No | Ask Merlin baking chatbot (beta) |
| 6 | Sonos | wireless speaker | CA | 99 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 7 | Orvis | fly fishing | VT | 99 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 8 | Carhartt | workwear | MI | 99 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 9 | Stonewall Kitchen | specialty jam and sauce | ME | 99 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 10 | Nordstrom | department store | WA | 99 | 8 of 8 | No | In ChatGPT (product discovery) |
| 11 | Garmin | GPS sports watch | KS | 99 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 12 | Meijer | supercenter | MI | 99 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 13 | New Balance | running shoe | MA | 99 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 14 | REI | outdoor gear retailer | WA | 99 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 15 | Smartwool | merino wool sock and base layer | CO | 99 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 16 | UGG | sheepskin boot | CA | 99 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 17 | Bombas | sock | NY | 99 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 18 | OtterBox | phone case | CO | 99 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 19 | Sherwin-Williams | paint | OH | 98 | 8 of 8 | No | Color Expert app; service chatbot |
| 20 | Concept2 | rowing machine | VT | 98 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 21 | Saucony | running shoe | MA | 98 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 22 | Costco | warehouse club | WA | 98 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 23 | The Home Depot | home improvement retailer | GA | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Magic Apron; catalog in ChatGPT |
| 24 | Ace Hardware | hardware store | IL | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 25 | AutoZone | auto parts retailer | TN | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 26 | O'Reilly Auto Parts | auto parts retailer | MO | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 27 | Tractor Supply | farm and ranch supply store | TN | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Own site assistant (OpenAI) |
| 28 | Discount Tire | tire retailer | AZ | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 29 | Sephora | beauty retailer | CA | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | ChatGPT app |
| 30 | Bass Pro Shops | outdoor sporting goods retailer | MO | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 31 | Total Wine & More | wine and liquor store | MD | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 32 | Brooks Running | running shoe | WA | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 33 | Hoka | running shoe | CA | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 34 | The North Face | outdoor clothing | CO | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 35 | Hydro Flask | water bottle | OR | 98 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 36 | Warby Parker | eyeglasses | NY | 97 | 8 of 8 | No | Advisor frame finder in app |
| 37 | Bose | headphone and speaker | MA | 97 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 38 | Apple | consumer electronics | CA | 97 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 39 | Burton | snowboard | VT | 97 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 40 | Skims | shapewear | CA | 97 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 41 | Microsoft | laptop and computer | WA | 97 | 8 of 8 | No | Runs Copilot and Copilot Checkout |
| 42 | GoPro | action camera | CA | 97 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 43 | Amazon | online marketplace | WA | 97 | 8 of 8 | No | Alexa for Shopping (was Rufus); blocks outside agents |
| 44 | Dick's Sporting Goods | sporting goods retailer | PA | 97 | 8 of 8 | No | Coach by DICK'S assistant |
| 45 | PetSmart | pet supply store | AZ | 97 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 46 | Darn Tough | hiking sock | VT | 97 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 47 | Ralph Lauren | designer clothing | NY | 97 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Ask Ralph stylist in app |
| 48 | Tom's of Maine | natural toothpaste | ME | 96 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 49 | Roku | streaming device | CA | 96 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 50 | Harry's | razor | NY | 96 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 51 | Ruggable | washable rug | CA | 96 | 8 of 8 | No | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 52 | Under Armour | athletic apparel | MD | 96 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 53 | Ulta Beauty | beauty retailer | IL | 96 | 8 of 8 | No | Ulta AI; in ChatGPT; Gemini checkout |
| 54 | Macy's | department store | NY | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Ask Macy's assistant |
| 55 | BJ's | warehouse club | MA | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Own assistant in beta |
| 56 | Williams-Sonoma | kitchenware retailer | CA | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Olive and Otto assistants; ads in ChatGPT |
| 57 | Hobby Lobby | arts and crafts store | OK | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 58 | Nike | athletic shoe and apparel | OR | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Gemini checkout; Google Universal Cart |
| 59 | Rogue Fitness | home gym equipment | OH | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 60 | Levi's | jeans | CA | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Outfitting styling tool in app |
| 61 | Crocs | clog | CO | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Rivet assistant; in ChatGPT |
| 62 | Crate & Barrel | furniture and homeware | IL | 96 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 63 | Supergoop! | sunscreen | TX | 95 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 64 | Liquid Death | canned water | CA | 95 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 65 | Litter-Robot | self cleaning litter box | MI | 95 | 7 of 8 | No | None found |
| 66 | Verizon | mobile phone carrier | NY | 95 | 8 of 8 | No | Service chatbot |
| 67 | Commissary (DeCA) | military grocery store | VA | 95 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 68 | Academy Sports + Outdoors | sporting goods retailer | TX | 95 | 8 of 8 | Yes | None found |
| 69 | Best Buy | consumer electronics retailer | MN | 95 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Ask Blue; in ChatGPT |
| 70 | Lululemon | athleisure | BC | 95 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Service chatbot |
| 71 | Petco | pet supply store | CA | 95 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 72 | Michaels | arts and crafts store | TX | 95 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Ask Mike assistant |
| 73 | Advance Auto Parts | auto parts retailer | NC | 95 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Blocks AI training crawlers |
| 74 | Black Diamond | climbing gear | UT | 95 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 75 | Fenty Beauty | makeup | CA | 95 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 76 | The Honest Kitchen | natural dog food | CA | 95 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 77 | Dell | laptop and computer | TX | 94 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 78 | Target | discount department store | MN | 94 | 7 of 8 | No | ChatGPT app; Gemini checkout |
| 79 | J.Crew | preppy clothing | NY | 94 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 80 | Staples | office supply store | MA | 94 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 81 | Wayfair | online furniture retailer | MA | 94 | 8 of 8 | No | ChatGPT sponsored agent pilot; Gemini checkout |
| 82 | Menards | home improvement retailer | WI | 94 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 83 | Family Dollar | dollar store | VA | 94 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 84 | H-E-B | supermarket | TX | 94 | 7 of 8 | No | None found |
| 85 | Lowe's | home improvement retailer | NC | 94 | 8 of 8 | No | Mylow site assistant (OpenAI) |
| 86 | QVC | TV shopping network | PA | 94 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 87 | Aldi | discount grocery store | IL | 94 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 88 | Omaha Steaks | mail order steak | NE | 94 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 89 | BarkBox | dog subscription box | NY | 94 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 90 | HP | laptop and printer | CA | 94 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | HP Experience AI on site (beta) |
| 91 | Thrive Market | online organic grocery | CA | 93 | 8 of 8 | No | Olive service agent (Sierra) |
| 92 | Sprouts Farmers Market | natural and organic grocery store | AZ | 93 | 7 of 8 | No | None found |
| 93 | Ross Dress for Less | off price clothing store | CA | 93 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 94 | Alo Yoga | yoga apparel | CA | 93 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 95 | Allbirds | sustainable sneaker | CA | 93 | 8 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 96 | Red Wing | work boot | MN | 93 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 97 | AT&T | mobile phone carrier | TX | 93 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Own app assistant |
| 98 | Rare Beauty | makeup | CA | 93 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 99 | See's Candies | chocolate and candy | CA | 93 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 100 | The Farmer's Dog | fresh dog food | NY | 93 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 101 | IKEA | furniture retailer | PA | 92 | 6 of 8 | Yes | IKEA GPT in ChatGPT |
| 102 | Gap | casual clothing | CA | 92 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 103 | Victoria's Secret | lingerie | OH | 92 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 104 | Whoop | fitness tracker | MA | 92 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 105 | Olipop | healthy soda | CA | 92 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 106 | Peloton | home exercise bike | NY | 91 | 8 of 8 | No | ChatGPT and Gemini apps (classes, not shopping) |
| 107 | The Exchange (AAFES) | military base retailer | TX | 91 | 7 of 8 | No | Service chatbot |
| 108 | Dollar General | dollar store | TN | 91 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 109 | JD Sports | sneaker retailer | IN | 91 | 6 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 110 | KEEN | hiking boot and sandal | OR | 91 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 111 | Nom Nom | fresh dog food | CA | 90 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 112 | Dollar Tree | dollar store | VA | 90 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 113 | Trek | bicycle | WI | 90 | 8 of 8 | No | Bike Finder (AI guided selling) |
| 114 | Grocery Outlet | discount grocery store | CA | 90 | 6 of 8 | No | None found |
| 115 | Kohl's | department store | WI | 90 | 6 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Ask Kohl's assistant |
| 116 | Harbor Freight Tools | tool retailer | CA | 90 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 117 | True Value | hardware store | IL | 90 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 118 | Vuori | athleisure | CA | 89 | 7 of 8 | No | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 119 | Meta | VR headset and smart glasses | CA | 89 | 8 of 8 | No | Runs Meta AI and Muse |
| 120 | Publix | supermarket | FL | 89 | 5 of 8 | No | None found |
| 121 | Dillard's | department store | AR | 89 | 6 of 8 | No | None found |
| 122 | TJ Maxx | off price clothing store | MA | 89 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 123 | WinCo Foods | discount grocery store | ID | 89 | 6 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 124 | Saks Fifth Avenue | luxury department store | NY | 89 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Service chatbot |
| 125 | Amway | direct selling health and beauty | MI | 89 | 6 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 126 | Harry & David | gift basket | OR | 88 | 7 of 8 | No | None found |
| 127 | Tracksmith | running apparel | MA | 88 | 7 of 8 | No | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 128 | Patagonia | outdoor clothing | CA | 88 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 129 | Walgreens | pharmacy chain | IL | 88 | 6 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 130 | La Colombe | coffee | PA | 87 | 6 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 131 | JCPenney | department store | TX | 86 | 5 of 8 | No | None found |
| 132 | McCormick | spice | MD | 86 | 4 of 8 | No | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 133 | CVS | pharmacy chain | RI | 86 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Service chatbot |
| 134 | 7-Eleven | convenience store | TX | 85 | 6 of 8 | No | None found |
| 135 | Wegmans | supermarket | NY | 85 | 4 of 8 | No | None found |
| 136 | Casey's | convenience store | IA | 85 | 6 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | AI phone ordering agents |
| 137 | Lands' End | classic casual clothing | WI | 85 | 5 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 138 | Walmart | discount department store | AR | 84 | 4 of 8 | No | Sparky; in ChatGPT; Gemini checkout; Muse partner |
| 139 | Camping World | RV dealer | IL | 84 | 5 of 8 | No | None found |
| 140 | Lovesac | sofa | CT | 84 | 5 of 8 | No | None found |
| 141 | Phillips Seafood | crab cake and seafood | MD | 84 | 7 of 8 | No | None found |
| 142 | Bath & Body Works | body care and candle | OH | 84 | 4 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 143 | Burlington | off price clothing store | NJ | 83 | 8 of 8 | No | No online store |
| 144 | Kroger | supermarket | OH | 83 | 4 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Own AI shopping assistant |
| 145 | Yeti | cooler and drinkware | TX | 83 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 146 | RH | luxury furniture | CA | 83 | 7 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 147 | Altra | running shoe | CO | 82 | 4 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 148 | Health Mart | pharmacy chain | TX | 81 | 4 of 8 | No | None found |
| 149 | Abercrombie & Fitch | casual clothing | OH | 81 | 3 of 8 | No | Perplexity checkout (Instant Buy) |
| 150 | Coach | designer handbag | NY | 81 | 3 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Gemini checkout (UCP) |
| 151 | Glossier | makeup and skincare | NY | 81 | 3 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | In ChatGPT; eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 152 | Google Store | smartphone | CA | 81 | 4 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Runs Gemini and AI Mode shopping |
| 153 | Circle K | convenience store | AZ | 79 | 3 of 8 | No | None found |
| 154 | L.L.Bean | outdoor clothing | ME | 79 | 2 of 8 | No | None found |
| 155 | American Eagle | jeans and casual clothing | PA | 77 | 2 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 156 | Five Below | discount store | PA | 77 | 2 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 157 | Osprey | hiking backpack | CO | 77 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 158 | Ashley Furniture | furniture | WI | 77 | 3 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Copilot Checkout; Perplexity checkout |
| 159 | Save-A-Lot | discount grocery store | MO | 76 | 3 of 8 | No | None found |
| 160 | Columbia | outdoor clothing | OR | 76 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 161 | STX | lacrosse equipment | MD | 75 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 162 | Estée Lauder | skincare | NY | 75 | 1 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | AI site search in EMEA only |
| 163 | Kuhl | outdoor clothing | UT | 74 | 2 of 8 | No | None found |
| 164 | ShopRite | supermarket | NJ | 74 | 1 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 165 | Good Neighbor Pharmacy | pharmacy chain | PA | 73 | 4 of 8 | No | None found |
| 166 | Smart & Final | discount grocery store | CA | 73 | 1 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 167 | Kay Jewelers | jewelry store | OH | 73 | 2 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 168 | Skullcandy | headphone | UT | 73 | 1 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 169 | Clinique | skincare | NY | 72 | 0 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 170 | Exxon | gas station | TX | 72 | 6 of 8 | No | None found |
| 171 | On | running shoe | OR | 72 | 5 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 172 | Ollie | fresh dog food | NY | 72 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 173 | Our Place | cookware | CA | 72 | 1 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 174 | Hy-Vee | supermarket | IA | 71 | 0 of 8 | No | None found |
| 175 | Food Lion | supermarket | NC | 70 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 176 | Stater Bros | supermarket | CA | 70 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Blocks AI training crawlers |
| 177 | Daisy | air rifle and BB gun | AR | 70 | 8 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 178 | Overstock | online furniture retailer | UT | 69 | 1 of 8 | No | None found |
| 179 | Schnucks | supermarket | MO | 69 | 0 of 8 | No | None found |
| 180 | Albertsons | supermarket | ID | 69 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Ask AI assistant; Safeway app in ChatGPT |
| 181 | Sea Bags | tote bag | ME | 69 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 182 | Sleep Number | mattress | MN | 68 | 1 of 8 | No | None found |
| 183 | Topo Athletic | running shoe | MA | 68 | 0 of 8 | No | None found |
| 184 | Raley's | supermarket | CA | 68 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 185 | Weis Markets | supermarket | PA | 68 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Blocks AI training crawlers |
| 186 | Urban Outfitters | casual clothing | PA | 68 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Copilot Checkout |
| 187 | Giant Eagle | supermarket | PA | 67 | 0 of 8 | No | AI recipe to cart tool in app |
| 188 | Murphy USA | gas station | AR | 67 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 189 | Piggly Wiggly | supermarket | NH | 66 | 0 of 8 | No | None found |
| 190 | Ingles Markets | supermarket | NC | 66 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 191 | Allied Cycle Works | bicycle | AR | 66 | 0 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | None found |
| 192 | Price Chopper | supermarket | NY | 64 | 0 of 8 | No | None found |
| 193 | Old Town | canoe and kayak | ME | 64 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 194 | Purple | mattress | UT | 63 | 5 of 8 | No | None found |
| 195 | AVB BrandSource | appliance and electronics retailer | CA | 63 | 0 of 8 | No | None found |
| 196 | Minnetonka | moccasin | MN | 63 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 197 | Fi | GPS dog collar | NY | 62 | 8 of 8 | No | None found |
| 198 | Market Basket | supermarket | MA | 60 | 0 of 8 | No | None found |
| 199 | Cotopaxi | outdoor backpack and apparel | UT | 58 | 2 of 8 | Yes | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
| 200 | Wild One | dog leash and harness | NY | 57 | 3 of 8 | Not checked: This site's bot protection turned away our crawler, HumanForwardBot, or the site did not load, so we could not look for agent checkout. It does not mean the brand has none. | Eligible via Shopify's AI channels |
Questions people ask
Are US retailers ready for AI shopping agents this Black Friday?
Mostly not on their own websites. Of the 48 NRF Top 100 retailer sites we could read on November 2, 2026, only Academy Sports + Outdoors and IKEA published a Universal Commerce Protocol manifest or a storefront MCP endpoint, the standards AI agents use to buy. Several of the biggest, including Walmart, Target and Nike, sell through Google's Gemini instead.
Can AI shopping agents buy from Amazon?
Not outside ones. Amazon's robots.txt blocks the crawlers and agents of ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Meta. Amazon sued Perplexity over its Comet shopping agent in 2025 and blocked Meta's Muse in September 2026. It runs its own assistant, Alexa for Shopping, formerly Rufus.
Why do retail websites block AI agents?
Mostly by accident of their bot protection. 98 of the 200 sites we checked turned our crawler away or did not load, yet 58 of the 63 blocked sites whose robots.txt we could read do not block any AI crawler there. Bot protection turns away automated visitors it cannot verify, which can include AI agents that browse from the AI company's own servers.
What are UCP and ACP?
The Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), developed by Google with retailers including Walmart, Target and Wayfair, and OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) let AI agents find products, prices and checkout through a front door the merchant controls, instead of scraping the store.
How can a brand check whether AI can find and buy from it?
Run Human Forward's Findability check, free, at humanforward.io. It asks the same eight AI assistants about your brand and checks your site for the standards AI agents use. If your site blocks crawlers, allow HumanForwardBot first.
Get the data
Download the full table as a spreadsheet: human-forward-ai-shopping-us-2026.csv. Free to use with credit to Human Forward and a link to this page.
Method
On November 2, 2026, each of 200 brands was tested in the US market with five questions a shopper would ask: what the brand is, where to buy it, the best brands of its kind, whether it is legitimate, and what it sells. Each question went to ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google's Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta's Muse and Mistral's Le Chat through their public APIs, with web search where the assistant offers it. A separate AI model graded every answer for whether the brand was named, whether its official website was given, accuracy and sentiment.
The 200 brands are the NRF Top 100 Retailers for 2026 and 100 well known direct to consumer brands, 47 of them outdoor and athletic. Retailers were asked about the best retailers of their kind and brands about the best brands of their product, set by hand. Each site was read by our crawler, HumanForwardBot, which identifies itself and follows robots.txt, and checked for a Universal Commerce Protocol manifest, a storefront MCP endpoint and product data agents can read. Each blocked site's robots.txt was then read separately. What each brand does elsewhere in AI comes from press coverage and company announcements, checked on November 2, 2026.
What this does and does not show
- 98 of the 200 sites blocked or did not answer our crawler, so every agent readiness figure is "of the 102 we could read".
- A blocked crawler shows a site runs bot protection. It does not prove that any named AI assistant is blocked; the big assistants' own crawlers can be verified and let through.
- The unprompted question asks for the best in the United States, which favors national names over regional ones.
- Elsewhere in AI lists only features reported as live. Announcements are left out.
- A missing UCP manifest does not mean a brand has no AI strategy. It means we did not find one of the open standards agents use.
- Every statement about a brand describes what we found on November 2, 2026. Sites and assistants change.
Sources
- Adobe holiday 2026 forecast, via Digital Commerce 360
- "The Shopping Bots Are Coming for Amazon," The Wall Street Journal, November 1, 2026
- Amazon sues Perplexity over AI shopping agents, Retail Dive
- Amazon blocks Meta's Muse, SmartScope
- Nike: AI powered shopping on Google
- Target and Google Gemini
- Walmart and Alphabet, Fortune
Want agents to buy from you? Storefront gives any store a front door for AI agents, on Shopify or not. See also our UK report on 75 brands.
Blocked our check? Allow HumanForwardBot and we will run your site again, free. Here's how: humanforward.io/bot.
Free to reproduce with a link. Please credit Human Forward and link to this page. Want your own brand's score? Run Findability free at humanforward.io. Press: hello@humanforward.io.