As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the global ecommerce landscape, Germany-based ecommerce platform Shopware has launched the Agentic Commerce Alliance.
The new initiative aims to protecting merchant independence and preserving diversity in both European and U.S. digital markets. Announced July 9, the alliance brings together 15 founding partners from across ecommerce, retail, and technology. They seek to counter what Shopware describes as a growing risk of AI monopolization by dominant players like Amazon, Google, and OpenAI. These firms are accelerating the use of autonomous AI agents to drive product discovery, pricing, and purchasing decisions — often bypassing traditional brand and merchant interactions.
“The Agentic Commerce Alliance is a strategic commitment to preserving a diverse, competitive, and innovative digital marketplace where AI amplifies, rather than diminishes, the uniqueness and humanity of commerce,” said Stefan Hamann, CEO and co-founder of Shopware.
Shopware and the Agentic Commerce Alliance
Shopware has over 55,000 B2C and B2B merchants globally — including a growing number in North America. It was an early adopter of AI in ecommerce, launching its AI Copilot in 2022 using OpenAI’s large language models. The platform emphasizes openness, flexibility, and merchant control — traits Hamann says are increasingly under threat.
Two key priorities anchor the alliance:
- Building open standards for agent-to-agent commerce that avoid dependency on centralized AI ecosystems.
- Using AI to enhance brand differentiation through personalization, immersive shopping experiences, and expert-level customer service — not just algorithmic pricing.
“Agentic commerce isn’t just a buzzword,” said Borys Skraba, chief commercial officer of Strix Group, a founding member of the alliance. “It’s about building a future where AI supports brand identity and competitive fairness.”
While initially Europe-based, the initiative is expected to expand its footprint into the U.S., where many independent merchants face similar threats from AI-powered retail consolidation. Organizers say their vision is to build a more open, human-centered alternative to what could become a homogenized, bot-controlled marketplace.
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