Featured Post: My Reading & Podcast List
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The Azimuth Brief: Sam’s Club’s One-Hour Delivery, MarTech Replacement Rates Slow, Affiliate Content Performance, and Ulta Beauty and Agentic Commerce
Today's retail and marketing brief covers Sam's Club's aggressive move into ultra-fast delivery, the slowdown in MarTech platform churn, growing attribution challenges for affiliate marketers in the AI age, and Ulta Beauty's deployment of agentic commerce through Google Gemini.
Today's retail and marketing brief covers Sam's Club's aggressive move into ultra-fast delivery, the slowdown in MarTech platform churn, growing attribution challenges for affiliate marketers in the AI age, and Ulta Beauty's deployment of agentic commerce through Google Gemini.
Today's stories:
• Sam's Club launches one-hour express delivery nationwide
• MarTech replacement rates drop as companies shift focus to efficiency
• Brands struggle to measure affiliate content performance in the AI age
• Ulta Beauty deploys agentic commerce with Google Gemini
1. Sam's Club Launches One-Hour Express Delivery Nationwide
Sam's Club has rolled out one-hour Express delivery across all 600-plus stores, taking aim at Amazon's delivery dominance with a $10 service for Plus members. Since launching on April 2, the retailer has fulfilled nearly 65,000 orders with an average delivery time of 55 minutes. The 10 fastest deliveries clocked in under 12 minutes.
Members now choose between two tiers: the new one-hour service ($10 for Plus, $22 for Club members) or the existing three-hour option ($5 for Plus, $17 for Club). There's no purchase minimum, and items are priced the same as in-club with no markups.
What people are ordering reveals the shift from novelty to necessity. A significant share includes everyday essentials like bottled water, produce, rotisserie chicken, and paper goods. New parents in Amarillo got baby supplies in 11 minutes. Pet owners in Louisville received cat food at the same time.
2. MarTech Replacement Rates Slow as Companies Shift Focus to Efficiency
Source: MarTech.org
Marketing technology replacement rates are declining as companies shift from constant platform churn to extracting more value from existing stacks. Rather than ripping and replacing every few years, marketing leaders are doubling down on optimization, integration, and getting teams to actually use the tools they already have.
The change reflects broader economic pressure and MarTech maturation. Budgets are tighter, implementations are expensive, and switching costs are real. Teams are realizing that the problem often isn't the technology itself, but how it's deployed, integrated, and adopted across the organization.
This shift from churn to efficiency has implications for both vendors and practitioners. Vendors need to focus on retention, expansion, and proving ROI rather than purely acquisition. For marketers, it means getting serious about change management, training, and making sure the stack they have is fully leveraged before adding more to it.
3. Brands Struggle to Measure Affiliate Content Performance in the AI Age
Brands like Adobe and Away are finding it increasingly difficult to measure how well their affiliate content performs as AI search engines and chatbots reshape discovery. Traditional tracking mechanisms break down when content gets summarized, rewritten, or pulled into AI-generated responses rather than driving direct clicks to publisher sites.
The challenge is attribution. When someone asks an AI assistant for product recommendations, and the AI synthesizes information from affiliate content without sending users to the original review or comparison article, how do you measure that influence? How do you credit the affiliate partner when the transaction happens three steps removed from their content?
This is a problem. Affiliate marketing has traditionally relied on clear click-and-conversion paths. AI intermediaries muddy those waters. Brands and affiliates will need new frameworks for tracking influence and crediting referrals in an environment where content gets consumed indirectly through AI summaries rather than direct site visits.
4. Ulta Beauty Deploys Agentic Commerce with Google Gemini
Ulta Beauty is making its products shoppable directly within Google Search and the Gemini app, adopting the Universal Commerce Protocol to enable agentic commerce. The retailer is also launching Ulta AI, a shopping assistant built with Gemini Enterprise that leverages insights from Ulta's 46 million member base.
The UCP integration allows AI agents to interact with Ulta's ecommerce platform, meaning shoppers can discover, compare, and complete purchases without leaving the AI interface. This puts Ulta into the emerging agentic commerce flow where discovery, intent, and purchase are stitched together in a single interaction.
Beauty is a high-friction vertical where visual signals, brand trust, and personalization matter. Ulta's loyalty dataset and curated assortments give it a defensible advantage versus general marketplaces that win on logistics. The partnership positions Ulta to capture demand as shopping behavior shifts from browsing sites to asking assistants for recommendations.
That's it for today.
The Azimuth Brief: Staples-Party City Partnership, Amazon's GLP-1 Program, Record Mother's Day Spending, and Parents' Digital Shopping Surge
News: stories Staples and Party City announced a strategic partnership bringing party supplies to 700+ stores, while Amazon One Medical launched a GLP-1 weight loss program starting at $149/month. Also: Mother's Day spending is expected to hit a record $38 billion, and new research shows parents engage in 50% more digital shopping days than average consumers.
Welcome to The Azimuth Brief for April 22, 2026. Here are the top retail and ecommerce stories that caught my attention.
Today's most interesting stories:
Staples partners with Party City in 700+ stores nationwide
Amazon launches GLP-1 weight loss program through One Medical
Mother's Day spending expected to hit record $38 billion
Parents drive 50% more digital shopping activity than average consumers
1. Staples and Party City Partner to Bring Party Supplies to 700+ Stores Nationwide
Staples and Party City announced a strategic partnership bringing Party City inside more than 700 Staples locations nationwide, just in time for graduation season. The collaboration makes Party City's selection of balloons, décor and party supplies available alongside Staples same-day print and marketing services, creating a single destination for personal and professional occasions.
The in-store experience features latex and foil balloons inflated with helium and ready to take home. Customers can choose from a range of colors, sizes, and designs. In the coming weeks, customers will also be able to schedule balloon pickups in advance through Staples.com and the Staples app.
Staples is celebrating the partnership with a buy 2, get 1 free offer on select foil balloons, valid through mid-June in store and online for in-store pickup. The deal applies to regularly priced foil balloons up to $6.99, with the discount applying to the lowest-priced item.
2. Amazon Launches GLP-1 Weight Loss Program Through One Medical
Amazon One Medical launched a comprehensive GLP-1 management program integrating weight loss treatment with primary care. The program combines virtual and in-person appointments, medication management, and pharmacy fulfillment through Amazon Pharmacy, positioning weight management as a long-term chronic condition rather than a one-off prescription.
The program offers oral GLP-1 medications starting at $149 per month for cash-pay customers, while those with insurance can access medications starting at $25 per month. Injectable treatments like Wegovy and Zepbound start at $299 per month without insurance. Customers already using GLP-1 treatments can renew prescriptions on demand, with messaging consultations starting at $29 and video visits at $49.
Amazon Pharmacy makes the medications available with same-day delivery in nearly 3,000 cities today, expanding to 4,500 by year-end. The program integrates GLP-1 management into patients' broader primary care relationships, with clinicians monitoring how weight loss intersects with cardiovascular health, metabolic conditions, and overall health.
3. Mother's Day Spending Expected to Hit Record $38 Billion
Consumer spending on Mother's Day is expected to reach a record $38 billion, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount surpasses last year's total spending of $34.1 billion and exceeds the previous record of $35.7 billion set in 2023.
Consistent with recent years, 84% of US adults plan to celebrate Mother's Day. On a per-person basis, consumers plan to spend a record average of $284.25 on gifts, up from $259.04 last year and the previous record of $274.02 in 2023. Of those celebrating, 54% plan to purchase for their mother or stepmother, followed by a wife (22%) or daughter (13%).
The leading shopping destinations for gifts include online (33%) and department stores (33%), followed by specialty stores (29%) and discount stores (26%). Flowers remain the most popular gift category, with 75% of shoppers planning to purchase. Other top categories include greeting cards (74%), special outings such as dinner or brunch (63%), gift cards (55%), and clothing or accessories (51%). Jewelry leads Mother's Day spending at $7.5 billion, followed by special outings ($6.4 billion) and electronics ($4.4 billion).
4. Parents Engage in 50% More Digital Shopping Days Than Average Consumers
Parents engage in 50% more digital shopping activity days than the average consumer, according to "The 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index" study commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions and released by PYMNTS Intelligence. The report documents mobile shopping as a mainstream retail behavior worldwide, with 48% of consumers using a phone for their most recent purchase and 60% browsing merchant sites multiple times a week.
Shoppers with children under their care used a phone in 58.6% of their most recent purchases, compared with 40.7% for non-parents. Parents logged 63.5 digital shopping days per month versus a 50.9 average across the full sample. The pattern holds across markets, even in countries where digital adoption is less intense overall, parents remain highly engaged mobile shoppers.
On 59% of the days parents shop digitally, they make a purchase, showing that this group is not just browsing more often but converting at a higher rate. The research shows these consumers gravitate toward clear payment choices, rewards, coupons, product details, and easy-to-navigate stores. Notably, 92% of shoppers used or wanted to use their preferred payment method at the merchant where they made their last purchase, making payment choice the top digital feature globally.
That's it for today.
The Azimuth Brief: Tariff Refunds, Amazon Price-Fixing, Consumer Spending, and Walmart's Fulfillment Test
News: stories The US government launched a tariff refund portal for up to $166 billion in illegal duties, while California released documents alleging Amazon coordinated price-fixing with Walmart and Target. Also: March retail sales rose for the sixth straight month driven by tax refunds, and Walmart is testing store backrooms as fulfillment centers.
Welcome to The Azimuth Brief for April 22, 2026. Here are the top retail and ecommerce stories that caught my attention.
Today's stories:
US government launches $166B tariff refund portal
California alleges Amazon coordinated price-fixing with major retailers
March retail sales show resilience amid inflation and gas price spikes
Walmart pilots store-based fulfillment for marketplace sellers
1. US Government Launches Tariff Refund Portal for $166 Billion in Illegal Duties
US Customs and Border Protection launched the CAPE portal (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries), allowing businesses to begin requesting refunds for tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court. The government could owe businesses up to $166 billion after the Supreme Court ruled in February that President Trump had illegally issued tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The system limits refund applications to unliquidated tariffs plus tariffs finalized by CBP within the past 80 days. As of April 9, more than 56,000 US importers had registered to receive refunds. Up to 82% of IEEPA duty payments, amounting to $127 billion, are eligible for refunds in CAPE's initial deployment.
Refund checks are not expected until this summer. The government estimates the claims review process could take 45 days, with checks processed 60 to 90 days after approval. Refunds will only go to the importer of record or the licensed customs broker who originally paid the duties, leaving uncertainty around whether consumers will see any of that money. Some companies, like FedEx and Costco, have said they plan to pass refunds to customers.
2. California Alleges Amazon Coordinated Price-Fixing with Major Retailers
California Attorney General Rob Bonta released newly unsealed documents showing how Amazon allegedly pressured major brands like Levi Strauss and Hanes to inflate prices on rival online marketplaces as part of a wide-ranging price-fixing scheme. The documents are part of a 2022 antitrust lawsuit alleging Amazon stifled competition and increased consumer prices across the internet.
The documents include communications between Amazon and Hanes, where Amazon sent the vendor links to listings on Target and Walmart showing lower prices than on Amazon. Hanes confirmed it reached out to Target and Walmart to have the prices increased. In another case, Amazon alerted Allergan that it temporarily suppressed listings for its eye drops once it found they were being sold for less elsewhere. Allergan replied, saying Walmart raised its price back to $16.99.
Amazon also allegedly pressed Levi's to ask Walmart to hike the price of its khaki pants. Walmart raised its prices, the filing states. Bonta's office has asked a San Francisco Superior Court judge to prevent Amazon from engaging in the alleged price-fixing practices while the lawsuit proceeds.
3. March Retail Sales Show Resilience Amid Inflation and Gas Price Spikes
US retail sales rose for the sixth consecutive month in March 2026, as higher-than-average tax refunds helped offset increased gasoline prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released by the National Retail Federation.
Core retail sales (excluding restaurants, auto dealers, and gas stations) were up 0.41% month over month in March and up 7.05% year over year. That compares with increases of 0.27% month over month and 5.87% year over year in February. Total retail sales rose 0.4% month over month and 6.59% year over year in March.
The results came as the IRS said 2026 tax refunds averaged $3,521 as of late March, up 11.1% from 2025 following changes in tax law passed last year. Almost all retail sectors recorded year-on-year increases, with clothing stores, sporting goods stores, and health and personal care stores seeing the highest growth. NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay noted that despite record-low consumer sentiment and the highest inflation rate in two years, consumers continued to spend on household priorities.
4. Walmart Pilots Store-Based Fulfillment for Marketplace Sellers in Dallas
Walmart is testing the use of backroom storage space in its stores as fulfillment centers for third-party marketplace sellers, according to multiple outlets. The pilot program is currently being tested in several Dallas-area locations and aims to facilitate same-day delivery for select products from the company's online marketplace. By storing inventory from marketplace sellers alongside its own products in store back rooms, Walmart can reportedly reduce delivery times from one to two days down to as little as three hours.
The initiative leverages Walmart's network of more than 4,700 US stores to compete directly with Amazon's fulfillment capabilities. Walmart's marketplace currently lists approximately 500 million items and has been growing rapidly, with marketplace sales up approximately 20% in recent quarters. The retailer has been using AI to help determine which stores marketplace items should be shipped to based on local demand forecasting.
Walmart's store-fulfilled delivery has been one of its fastest-growing channels, with expedited deliveries under three hours representing approximately 35% of store-fulfilled orders.
That's it for today.
QBs in the NFL Draft and Should Your Team Draft Them (Updated 2026)
Which QBs are in this year’s NFL Draft, and will they be any good? A quick assessment of who teams should, and shouldn’t, draft, from someone who is better than most NFL GMs at picking them.
Which QBs should teams take in this year’s NFL Draft? The experts will tell you who is good and not, but they’re kind of bad at it. Same with NFL GMs. Heck, even Tom Brady was a late-round pick, meaning not even the Patriots knew he’d be good.
So, am I better at predicting the success of NFL QBs?
All I know is I wanted Josh Allen (good call) and Baker Mayfield (OK call, I guess), and wanted nothing to do with Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold. I would’ve taken Jayden Daniels over Caleb Williams, and I would have drafted Jaxson Dart over Cam Ward. I also would’ve drafted Richardson (though not #1 overall) if I needed a QB, and completely passed on Bryce Young and CJ Stroud.
So, maybe I am. Then again, maybe I’m not. Either way, here’s what I think of the QBs in this year’s NFL Draft, along with results from previous years, as I casually posted them. No deep-dives, video breakdowns, or gobbledygook: Just a simple prediction based on how I see them play the game.
QBs in the 2026 NFL Draft: Pick or Pass?
Not a star-studded draft class, with Fernando Mendoza (#1) my only tier-1 QB. Tier-2+ (all non-starters out of the gate) includes, in order, Luke Altmyer, Ty Simpson, Cole Payton, and Joe Fagnano.
Fernando Mendoza: Good touch on the ball, and his legs are a great asset. I don’t see him throwing people open that often, which is concerning, but he puts contested balls in the right place, and he seems to understand what he wants to do with each play. He’s not a slam dunk, but if I am picking #1, I’m taking him.
Ty Simpson: Backup. Lacks the arm strength to make some NFL throws.
Garrett Nussmeier: No thanks. Low-end backup.
Carson Beck: Doesn’t throw WRs open. Makes too many throws that get picked in the NFL. Maybe an OK backup.
Drew Allar: Nope. Stares down his WRs too often. Doesn’t put contested balls in a great spot.
Cole Payton: Late-round flyer. Has legs, decent touch on the ball, and puts it in a good position. Needs to develop a quicker release to realize NFL potential.
Taylen Green: Mid- to late-round flyer. His legs are definitely an asset, and he has decent touch on the ball (not great), but he doesn’t drive the ball downfield very well. This won’t be favorable in the NFL. Likely a backup.
Luke Altmyer: If I am searching for a QB, I’m taking him (round 3+, depending on team need). He can run, has quick decision-making, can drive the ball fairly well, and has good touch.
Cade Klubnik: Backup. He can run and has decent touch on the ball, but tends to hold it a bit long. Not great at throwing into tight windows. Nothing that screams NFL QB.
Sawyer Robertson: Backup at best. Inconsistent ball placement, not great speed, and can hold the ball too long at times.
Joe Fagnano: Later-round QB with upside. Throws a decent ball, but more of a short-to-intermediate range thrower. Can move decently and sees the field relatively well. Tends to stare down his receiver at times. Likely higher-end backup with fringe, starter potential.
Diego Pavia: Sorry, but no. Decent thrower with a clean pocket, but he tends to hold the ball too long to process the field (likely a result of his height). Not scared to rip it in windows, but delays will cause too many INTs in the NFL.
QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft: Pick or Pass?
TL:DR: Jaxson Dart is my number 1. Ward and Shough are equal. I might like the risk of Shough more.
Cam Ward. Mid-to-low tier starter. Can find a guy, but tends to hold the ball long and rarely throws guys open. Has upside, worth drafting if you need a QB. Don’t see superstar status, but could be “good enough” status.
Shedeur Sanders. Nope. Total bust.
Jaxson Dart. Draft. Has legs. Puts it in tight window and drops them in. Doesn’t hold it long. Draft if you need a QB. Might struggle at first with progressions. I like him more than Cam Ward.
Jalen Milroe. Good backup. Legs will keep him in the league. Decent passer, but looks at his receivers too much.
Will Howard. This guy could be a decent QB. Reminds me of a mix of Herbert and Maye. Might be a good spot for a QB-pergatory team. Likely a low-end starter with some upside, nothing better than a mid-level starter.
Quinn Ewers. Second/third stringer.
Kyle McCord. Can make a living as a backup. As a starter, he’d be best under a west coast/timing system, like Shannahan or … hello Dolphins.
Riley Leonard. Hello UFL.
Tyler Shough. Might be a decent starter. If you need a backup to develop or to challenge a low-tier starter, he’s your man. He’s probably as good as Cam Ward with more upside.
Dillion Gabriel. Can throw and run it but I think he’s a backup.
QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft: Pick or Pass?
Jayden Daniels: Yes, he's my first overall.
Caleb Williams: Yes. He needs quicker decision-making. Otherwise, he'll take too many sacks. I think he can make that switch.
Drake Maye: Decent backup QB, maybe a bottom-tier starter.
JJ McCarthy: Hated watching him live, but looking at the tape, he makes NFL throws and turned me slightly. Stares his WRs down too much. 3rd rounder. Will be boom or bust. If I had to bet, I'd say bust.
Bo Nix: Eh. No thanks. Backup at best.
Michael Penix Jr. The MOST intriguing QB in the draft. Most accurate college QB I’ve seen, and had an incredibly awful championship game. Multiple injuries in his career. I think he's a starter in the league. Massive upside, and massive downside. I'd take him in the 2nd round if I needed a QB within two years.
Austin Reed: Draft the dude. "Short" for the typical NFL QB (6'1", same as Lamar), but this guy can make throws.
Spencer Rattler: Backup QB
Michael Pratt: Nope. Hello UFL.
Jordan Travis: No thanks. Backup at best.
QBs in the 2023 NFL Draft: Pick or Pass?
Draft: The only QB I am taking in this draft is Richardson. I like his throws, and he has some serious upside.
Notable NOs:
Levis
Hooker
Stroud
Young
QBs in the 2022 & Earlier NFL Drafts
Definitely Draft:
Mayfield
Allen
Burrow
Lawrence
Mahommes
Worth Drafting ("think" he'll be good, not great, but also not entirely confident):
Watson
Jackson (more upside than Watson)
Herbert (Chad Pennington-esque)
Notable NOs:
Rosen, Darnold, Murray, Pickett, Willis, Jones, Wilson, Lance, Fields, Tua, Love, Haskins, Love, Jones, Trubisky, Kizer, Newton.
Need someone to evaluate QBs for your team? I’m available for hire.
Google’s AI Landing Page Patent: What It Means for Ecommerce and Brand Control
Google’s newest patent signals a shift from sending traffic to your website to potentially replacing it altogether. Instead of ranking pages, Google may generate its own AI-powered version of your storefront, tailored to each user. That raises bigger questions about brand control, data ownership, and what the future of search actually looks like for businesses.
Google Doesn’t Just Want to Rank Your Website Anymore — It May Replace It
Google’s latest patent suggests a seismic shift may be afoot. Instead of sending users to your website, it may evaluate your page and build its own version if yours isn’t good enough.
On January 27, 2026, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Google Patent US12536233B1, titled “AI-generated content page tailored to a specific user.” At a glance, it reads like a technical improvement. In practice, it points to a future where Google doesn’t just decide which website you see, but whether you see one at all.
From Ranking Pages to Rebuilding Them
At the center of the patent is something called a “Landing Page Score.” Before sending a user to a website, Google evaluates whether that page meets a certain threshold for quality and usability, using signals that marketers already recognize but may now carry higher stakes.
These signals include performance metrics such as conversion rate, bounce rate, and click-through rate, along with qualitative factors like page design and content clarity. More importantly, the patent explicitly references functional gaps, including the absence of features like product filters, as indicators of poor usability. That detail suggests this isn’t just about relevance or keyword alignment, but about whether a page delivers a complete and usable experience.
If a page performs well, the experience remains largely unchanged. If it doesn’t, Google may take a different approach by generating an alternative version in real time using large language models, effectively creating its own optimized experience tailored to the individual user.
This is where the shift becomes clear. Google is no longer just organizing access to content; it is positioning itself to reconstruct the experience of that content.
The Rise of the “Google-Built” Storefront
The AI-generated pages described in the patent are not simple summaries or enhanced snippets. They are designed to function like complete landing pages, assembled dynamically based on available data and user context.
These experiences can include personalized headlines, structured product feeds, suggested filters, clear calls to action, and even conversational interfaces that guide users through decisions. In many cases, they may represent a more streamlined and efficient version of what the brand itself provides, particularly if the original site lacks certain usability features.
From a user perspective, this reduces friction and simplifies the path to purchase. From a brand perspective, however, it introduces a new layer between you and your customer, where the experience is no longer fully yours to control.
The Erosion of the Direct Relationship?
The most significant implication is not traditional traffic loss (that’s already happening with AI platforms) but the gradual erosion of the direct customer relationship that brands have spent years building.
A website has historically been the one place where a brand fully controls its narrative, design, and experience. It is where trust is built through storytelling, testimonials, UX decisions, and subtle signals that differentiate one company from another. When that interaction is mediated through a Google-generated interface, much of that differentiation risks being flattened into standardized components.
The transaction may still occur, but the experience belongs to Google. Over time, that shift can weaken brand equity in ways that are difficult to measure in the short term but meaningful in the long run.
Zero-Click Search Becomes Zero-Click Commerce
We are already seeing the rise of zero-click search, where users find answers without leaving the search results page. This patent extends that concept into commerce by allowing the entire journey—discovery, evaluation, and potentially conversion—to happen within Google’s ecosystem.
That shift has direct implications for data ownership and learning. When users interact with your website, you gain insight into behavior, preferences, and friction points, which in turn fuel optimization and personalization efforts. When those interactions happen on a platform instead, that feedback loop becomes less visible and less actionable.
Over time, that loss of insight can limit a brand’s ability to improve its own experience, creating a dependency on platforms that increasingly control both visibility and interaction.
A New Layer in the Economics of Search
Another important element in the patent is where these AI-generated experiences can appear. The system allows for their inclusion within sponsored results, which introduces the possibility that paid traffic may lead to a Google-generated page rather than the brand’s own website.
While the patent does not define how broadly this would be implemented, it signals a direction where Google captures more value across both the experience layer and the monetization layer. Brands may find themselves not only competing for visibility, but also participating in an environment where the destination itself is no longer owned.
For smaller and mid-sized businesses, this raises the stakes significantly. Competing in search may no longer be about who ranks best, but who meets the threshold to remain part of the experience at all.
A Broader Shift Toward Platform-Owned Experiences
Taken in isolation, this patent is a technical concept. Viewed in the context of broader industry trends, it aligns with a clear movement toward platform-owned experiences, where discovery and interaction are increasingly consolidated into a single environment.
Search is evolving from a gateway into a destination, compressing what was once a multi-step journey into a single interface. At the same time, the importance of structured data is growing as platforms rely more on what they can access and interpret than on how a page is designed in isolation.
This is where the idea of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) begins to emerge. Visibility is no longer just about ranking pages, but about ensuring your brand is accurately represented within AI-generated environments that assemble and present information on your behalf.
What This Means for Brands Now
This patent does not represent an immediate shift, but it does point to a direction that is already taking shape and worth preparing for.
First, data quality becomes foundational, as structured product information, accurate attributes, and strong visual assets may increasingly define how your brand is represented when the interface is no longer your own. Second, user experience becomes a gatekeeper rather than a differentiator, with basic functionality like navigation and filtering determining whether your page is included or bypassed.
At the same time, owned channels become more valuable, as email marketing, SMS marketing, and community-driven engagement offer a way to maintain direct relationships in an environment where discovery is increasingly intermediated. Finally, brands must invest in differentiation that cannot be easily replicated, including trust, storytelling, and identity, which do not translate cleanly into structured data or templated interfaces.
The Future of Search Is the Interface Itself
Google’s patent signals a shift that goes beyond rankings or algorithm updates and moves toward a model where the interface itself becomes the primary battleground for attention.
For users, this will likely result in faster, more personalized experiences that reduce friction and simplify decision-making. For brands, it introduces a more complex reality where visibility depends not only on being found, but on being selected, interpreted, and reconstructed by systems outside their control.
The companies that adapt will not simply focus on ranking higher. They will focus on how they are understood, how they are represented, and how they remain differentiated in a world where the final interaction may no longer happen on their own site.
Still need help digesting this? Check out this explainer video.
Google AI Landing Page Patent FAQs
What is Google’s AI landing page patent?
Google’s patent (US12536233B1) describes a system where it evaluates a webpage before sending users to it. If the page does not meet certain quality or usability standards, Google may generate its own AI-powered version instead of directing users to the original site.
What is a “Landing Page Score”?
A Landing Page Score is Google’s way of assessing page quality based on performance metrics like conversion rate and bounce rate, along with usability factors such as design, content clarity, and functionality. The patent specifically mentions missing features like product filters as a negative signal.
Will Google replace websites with AI-generated pages?
Not entirely, and not immediately. This is a patent, not a fully rolled-out product. However, it signals a direction where Google may intervene more directly in the user experience when a page is considered low quality.
How does this impact ecommerce brands and SEO?
Ecommerce brands may see fewer users reaching their websites directly, which affects branding, conversion control, and data collection. SEO will also evolve beyond rankings toward how content and product data are understood and used within AI-generated experiences.
What should businesses do to prepare?
Businesses should focus on improving user experience, maintaining clean and structured product data, and building direct relationships through owned channels like email and SMS. Strong brand differentiation will also become more important as platforms take a larger role in shaping the customer experience.
AI Shopping During the Holidays and What It Means
Holiday shopping offered an early look at how consumers are using AI to research products and guide purchase decisions. The results reveal important signals about how ecommerce may evolve in 2026.
The holiday shopping season is often the clearest indicator of how consumers are actually using new technology. In 2025, AI moved from novelty to a practical shopping assistant for many consumers. Shoppers increasingly use AI tools to research gift ideas, compare products, and narrow their purchasing decisions. At the same time, consumer trust in AI for shopping rose dramatically throughout the year, signaling that AI-assisted commerce may soon become part of everyday buying behavior rather than a niche experiment. This can also have a ripple effect on the brand-consumer relationship.
In my latest article for AIThority, I examine what holiday shopping behavior revealed about the growing role of AI in e-commerce and what it may signal for the year ahead. The trends raise several questions brands should begin thinking about now:
If shoppers increasingly rely on AI to research and recommend products, how will brands influence those recommendations?
Will AI shopping behavior shift more commerce back toward desktop environments rather than mobile?
What does the rise of AI-generated traffic mean for traditional discovery channels like search and social media?
How should marketers adapt if AI becomes a primary entry point into the shopping journey?
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Buffalo Bills Hire Joe Brady. Really?
I wanted to turn the page from Joe Brady before the season even started, but watching the Bills’ offense unfold only reinforced my concerns. From predictable bubble screens and conservative red-zone play-calling to a lack of urgency around the wide receiver room, the same issues surfaced at the worst possible moments. If Joe Brady is going to be the coach who finally gets Buffalo past the playoff wall, major changes in philosophy, staffing, and execution are non-negotiable.
Today, the Bills hired Joe Brady as their new head coach, and I can’t believe it. I really can’t.
The owner fired Sean McDermott because he felt they could not get past the “proverbial playoff wall.” I agree, and while not specifically calling for McD’s head, I am OK with the decision. However, my biggest concern was less on the head coach and more on the OC. I don’t believe Brady has what it takes to be an elite playcaller. Man, I hope I’m wrong, but I fear the Bills are going to run it back with mostly the same staff in place — and that IS the issue.
When I think about it, was this the interview process?
I wanted to turn the page from Brady before the season even started. Over the past two-plus years, I have taken issue with his play-calling from several areas. Watching it unfold made me double down. Here are my gripes.
My issues with Joe Brady’s offense
1. Bubble screens, and more specifically, throws to the line of scrimmage. The Bills have a cheat-code QB, and yet Brady decides the best way to use him is to have him throw the ball to the line of scrimmage the moment he touches it. You might as well put me back there throwing the ball!
With a chance to close out the game, he did this on 3rd down in the fourth quarter inside the red zone during the Bills-Broncos playoff game. In fact, he did it on second down as well — although he held the ball for a full 1.5 seconds while waiting for Samuel to come out of the backfield. Both plays went nowhere — much like nearly every bubble screen for the past two seasons. Oh, and let’s not forget the bubble screen on third down on the final drive in the KC playoff game the year before.
Repeatedly, he ran these bubble screens with very limited success. Unless McDermott specifically called for those plays, he was repeatedly willing to take the ball out of the best player’s hands. This is an OC issue, and a serious one.
2. Running up the middle on first and goal from outside the five. What a waste. These plays routinely go nowhere and are practically a waste of down. Heck, look at the same series of red zone plays in the Bills-Broncos game. First down, run to the outside for 1 yard (I know, not up the middle, but you got the same predictable run and result).
Add running it up the middle on second down to my list of grievances. Oh, and running it on 2&1 instead of taking a shot, and you have yourself a conservative run party. This is an OC issue. But what if you don’t make it? Well, not knowing you have two plays for a near-guaranteed Allen sneak/tush push on third and fourth down is an OC issue.
3. This part I don’t know, but what involvement did Brady have in the Bills’ deciding to build an incredibly weak WR room? We’re about to find out. I am led to believe Brady wasn’t opposed to the WRs they had. If so, I imagine, since Beane apparently trusts him so much, they would’ve made a move to improve it at the trade deadline. Instead, I have GMBB defending the assets he assembled while grasping at straws throughout the season.
4. My 13-year-old calls out the Bills plays before they happen, and he’s right most of the time — and he’s not even a Bills fan! If he and I can do it so easily, what makes me think he’s fooling a defensive coordinator?
What I need from Joe Brady as the Bills’ coach
1. Bring in an established defensive coordinator — or someone who is considered to “know their stuff.” We can’t run it back with the same crew. Getting past the proverbial playoff wall means getting better at what you do. The defense was a consistent letdown. Be better, and that starts with the top of the pyramid. If not an established playcaller, the hire needs to have some pedigree behind them, having studied under some of the brightest minds. While some is OK, I can’t have significant learning on the job. A veteran D assistant to serve as a sounding board would be helpful with a younger guy.
2. Be a serious playcaller. The same-old same-old is not going to get it done. I do not want Josh Allen to have to make up for your game plan and playcalling. I’ve watched it too often. What I want is for Josh Allen to make his great playcalling unstoppable. He shouldn’t have to be Superman to win games. He should be Superman to demoralize and bury the opponent. I want to win when he’s average.
3. Advocate for solid WRs. Make it clear that the lack of WRs was the previous regime’s decision. Your job as OC is to make your QB’s job as easy as possible. Do it.
4. Do NOT make the season come down to giving Josh Allen the ball, trailing, and a chance to win the game. This is not getting past the wall. Build a team that gets him a two-score lead and the luxury of sitting on the sideline while the defense goes to work with a scheme that doesn’t give 9-yard cushions on a third-and-seven.
Will Joe Brady succeed?
I have not seen evidence that Joe Brady can accomplish these things. In fact, I’ve seen a stubbornness to continually run plays with little to no success while simultaneously taking the ball out of the NFL’s best QBs’ hands. To me, this is not a good indication of someone able to evolve.
I hope he makes the right staffing decisions that improve this team. I hope he advocates for better players on offense. I hope he learns how to be a better placaller.
I’m not holding my breath.
Would one of the other hot-shot young OCs in the league have been a better fit? I don’t know. It would have all been a gamble. I just don’t think Joe Brady is the guy to smash through the wall, and I’ve never wanted to be so wrong in my life. Good luck Joe!