Microsoft on Thursday announced new artificial intelligence tools for retailers that it said could help shops and online sellers speed up routine work, improve product listings and offer more personalised help to customers.
The company said the tools are designed to support tasks across the retail business, from marketing and merchandising to store operations and deliveries, by using AI systems that can take action within set rules rather than only producing answers.
One of the updates, called Copilot Checkout, is aimed at making online purchases quicker. Microsoft said shoppers in the United States will be able to complete a purchase they find through its Copilot service without being sent to another website.
The retailer would still handle the sale and payment as the merchant of record, Microsoft said. Partners supporting the service include PayPal, Shopify and Stripe.
Microsoft said shoppers will be able to purchase from brands including Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Ashley Furniture, and from sellers on Etsy, with more retailers expected to join.
“With Microsoft‘s agentic AI, retailers can automate what slows them down and amplify what sets them apart, enabling faster decisions and stronger customer relationships while building operations ready for whatever comes next,” said Kathleen Mitford, Corporate Vice President of Global Industry, Microsoft.
Another set of tools is focused on online shopping assistance. Microsoft said retailers can use AI agents trained on their product catalogues to answer customer questions and guide browsing in a conversational way.
It also introduced a template that retailers can customise to build their own shopping assistant for recommending products across websites, mobile apps and in-store experiences.
For the back end, Microsoft said it is testing tools designed to make product data management easier. One feature in public preview aims to extract product details from images and help automate tasks such as categorising items, correcting errors and adding information used for search and recommendations.
The company also announced a tool for store staff that it said could help answer questions about inventory and store policies, suggest next steps and flag issues that need attention. It is designed to draw on internal signals such as sales trends and foot traffic as well as external factors such as weather, local events and holidays.
Retailers have been looking for ways to cut the time spent on repetitive work and to respond faster to customer demand, particularly as both online and physical shopping channels compete for attention.
Microsoft said it plans to demonstrate the new retail tools at the NRF 2026 retail industry event in New York.
