AI Shopping Surge: 70% of Sales at Risk

The rise of AI shopping is pushing merchants to protect loyalty, according to Adyen, with the company introducing a platform for enterprise merchants and AI-agent payments. A merchant spoke with Adyen co-CEO Pieter van der Does and generated 70% of its volume through direct channels, highlighting the importance of retaining customer relationships.

Adyen has introduced a platform designed for enterprise merchants and AI-agent payments, aiming to help merchants sustain customer retention and adapt to AI software companies charging usage-based fees. The company has also recently acquired loyalty software firm Talon.One and billing provider Orb to strengthen its retention-focused services.

Adyen processes payments for high-end retailers such as Hermes and Hugo Boss, and its efforts to protect loyalty are crucial for these merchants. JPMorgan analysts noted that Adyen's signing of OpenAI as a customer was an unexpected positive in the company's half-year update, showing the Dutch payments processor gaining ground among AI companies.

## Why it matters The increasing prevalence of AI chatbots handling consumer shopping is pushing merchants to uphold more direct customer relationships over fears of losing their loyalty and repeated purchases. AI-driven shopping assistants could take over the sequence of browsing, logging in, and paying, eroding the direct relationships retailers rely on. Adyen's moves reflect the expectations that merchants will require robust tools to sustain customer retention and adapt to AI software companies charging usage-based fees.

Adyen is investing heavily in its infrastructure, with roughly two-thirds of its capital expenditures going to private cloud systems running its core services. The company is also pulling forward spending on computing and storage capacity from next year due to higher prices and supply constraints. This investment is crucial for Adyen to support its growing customer base and provide robust services to merchants.

As AI shopping continues to grow, merchants will need to adapt to the changing landscape and prioritize customer loyalty. Adyen's platform and acquisitions are designed to help merchants navigate this shift and retain their customer relationships. With its strong track record of processing payments for high-end retailers, Adyen is well-positioned to support merchants in the era of AI shopping.