I wish someone had told me this earlier.
More integrations don’t mean more customers.
I learned this the hard way.
Early in my career, I believed: → If conversions drop, build more sales channels.
That belief costs retailers millions.
I’ve seen this pattern again and again.
Retailers launch on new platforms. Results don’t come. First reaction?
“Add another channel.”
But no one checks the system behind the integrations.
After watching Google’s UCP announcement today, one thing became clear:
Most retailers don’t have a channel problem. They have an infrastructure problem.
Here’s what I usually see:
→ Custom integration for Google → Custom integration for Amazon→ Custom integration for Meta → Custom integration for every AI surface
Just more platforms. More maintenance. Same broken checkout.
When sales don’t come, they add more channels. More surfaces. Same friction everywhere.
The tech stack gets messy. Data gets unclear. And when retention drops, they say it again:
“Add another channel.”
But here’s the truth:
More channels never fix broken infrastructure. If the foundation is weak, no platform can save it.
I’ve seen this personally with retail brands.
One protocol + clear strategy beats Ten integrations + zero infrastructure.
Google just announced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).
Backed by Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, Walmart, Stripe, Mastercard, Visa.
Open-source. One integration. Unlimited surfaces.
And the numbers are real:
→ 90 trillion tokens/month processed (11x YoY increase)→ 50B+ product listings → Billions refreshed hourly
Customers are already shopping in conversational interfaces.
AI Mode. Gemini. Voice. More coming.
You either build to the protocol or you build custom integrations forever.
Here’s what UCP actually solves:
Friction compounds into churn
Customer says: “find a lightweight suitcase for an upcoming trip”
Old way: → Search on Google → Click 5 different sites → Compare manually → Re-enter payment info → Create another account → Abandon cart
New way with UCP: → Intent → discovery → checkout → done → One conversation → Payment already stored → Loyalty benefits auto-apply
Every removed friction point compounds. That’s retention infrastructure.
The N×N problem kills growth
Before UCP, every retailer faced this: → Build for Google → Build for Amazon → Build for Meta → Build for TikTok → Build for every new AI surface
Most just gave up. That’s not a tech problem. That’s a TAM problem.
UCP changes it: → Build once → Works everywhere → AI Mode, Gemini, future surfaces
One integration. Unlimited reach.
Real-time data prevents disappointment
Nothing kills retention faster than showing products that aren’t available.
Customer commits mentally. Clicks buy. “Out of stock.”
They don’t come back.
With UCP + Shopping Graph: → Real-time inventory → Dynamic pricing → Personalized discounts → No surprises
Disappointment is churn. UCP eliminates it.
You keep the customer relationship
This isn’t a marketplace model.
“You own your business logic. You remain the Merchant of Record.”
You’re not giving customers to Google.
You’re using Google’s surfaces for discovery while keeping: → Direct relationship → Your branded checkout → Your data → Your retention control
Channel expansion, not traffic arbitrage.
Post-purchase decides retention
Everyone focuses on checkout.
But retention happens after purchase.
UCP includes this as core infrastructure: → Order tracking in conversation → Returns via natural language → Reorder prompts with context
Most retailers treat this as an afterthought. UCP makes it first-class.
Identity that follows customers
Customer browses on mobile Gemini. Adds to cart.
Switches to desktop AI Mode. Continues conversation.
Completes purchase via voice later.
Same cart. Same session. Same context.
Persistent identity across every surface. No more “where did I add that item?”
If retention feels hard right now, infrastructure explains a lot.
UCP doesn’t just add another channel. It removes the need to build for every channel separately.
Clear protocol + one integration beats Custom builds + maintenance forever.
I’ve seen Google’s numbers today: → 11x growth in API usage YoY → Billions of products updated hourly → 20+ ecosystem partners already live
Customers are already forming new shopping habits in AI.
Early adopters win because habits form early.
You’re either there when it happens, or you’re explaining to your board why retention dropped while competitors’ improved.
But here’s what changes with UCP:
Retailers can treat this like retention infrastructure, not another integration.
Product teams can design for conversational commerce from day one.
Tech teams can stop maintaining N×N integrations and focus on experience.
The infrastructure is here. The adoption is accelerating. Customer behavior is shifting.
If you’re still building custom integrations for every surface, this explains a lot.
P.S. Channels don’t fail from lack of integrations.
They fail because friction gets amplified across every touchpoint.