Do you think we’re heading toward a future where we say, “Back in the day, we used something called websites”—the same way we now talk about landlines?
Amazon may have quietly paved the way for this shift. Not by killing websites, but by being one of the first platforms to move consumers from brand trust to platform trust. Shoppers stopped asking, “Do I trust this brand?” and started asking, “Do I trust Amazon?”
Now LLMs are picking up where Amazon left off—working to complete a transition Amazon may have never realized it started.
Here’s the framework:
1. Product discovery is collapsing inward
Historically:
- Google → website → browse → buy
- Bookmarking, referrals, forums, blogs = lots of side doors
Now:
- Google / ChatGPT → answer → product → checkout
- Fewer exits. Fewer tabs. Less wandering.
Users are being trained to:
- Stay inside the interface
- Trust summaries over source pages
- Click only when the intent is already high
2. Search engines want to be the storefront
- Google already:
- Shows product grids
- Pulls reviews, pricing, and availability
- Pushes “Buy on Google”
- Shows product grids
- ChatGPT:
- Is moving toward product feeds + checkout
- Will curate rather than index
- Can personalize shopping in a way Google never fully could
- Is moving toward product feeds + checkout
That is the “ultimate buyer experience”:
one interface, zero friction, no research fatigue.
Less need for website UX, design, UI…
3. Current marketplaces could be abstracted
- Amazon, Etsy, Walmart become inventory + fulfillment layers
- The brand becomes less visible
- The relationship shifts from “destination” → “supplier”
Think:
Users don’t “go to Amazon.”
Amazon quietly powers purchases elsewhere.
Same thing that happened to:
- Hotels (Booking/Expedia)
- Restaurants (DoorDash/Uber Eats)
- News publishers (Google Discover / Apple News)
(Potential) blow to marketplace leverage, but not extinction.
4. LLMs race to develop customer preferences
It’s who owns the decision moment.
- If Google still shows options
- ChatGPT can say:
“This is the best choice for you. Buy it.”
That’s a huge difference.
If ChatGPT:
- Knows your preferences
- Knows your budget
- Knows your history
- Knows your intent
Then:
- Rankings matter less
- Brands matter less?
- Being “included” matters more than being “found”
5. Brand power is changing, not disappearing
When’s the last time you bought something on Amazon and couldn’t name the brand afterward?
For many everyday purchases—phone chargers, organizers, cables, small home goods—the brand is no longer the deciding factor. What people remember instead is:
- Star ratings
- Price
- Delivery speed
- Platform signals like “Amazon’s Choice” or “Best Seller.”
This behavior signals a broader shift: platform trust is replacing brand trust.
Things to Consider for Your Business
- Are current and upcoming AI agent initiatives and discussions taking place within your company?
- Have you refined your position on AI-driven commerce features, including product feeds, ChatGPT ads, and instant checkout models with associated fees?
- What visibility do you have into custom integrations or platform-level options that may be available (or in development) for your business?
- Do you have strategic adjustments in place if customer behavior shifts toward completing discovery and purchase entirely within search or AI interfaces?
- What level of control, data access, and/or dependency are you willing to grant AI-powered search and marketplace platforms for your business?
Relevant Articles: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-agentic-commerce-opportunity-how-ai-agents-are-ushering-in-a-new-era-for-consumers-and-merchants
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