The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Google is expanding people's ability to shop through its AI chatbot Gemini in Canada, offering direct checkout in partnership with major Canadian retailers Lululemon, Shoppers Drug Mart, La Maison Simons and selected Shopify merchants. The Globe's Susan Krashinsky writes that a new instant-checkout feature, launched earlier this year in the United States and Australia, will let customers make purchases directly without leaving the Gemini app or Google's AI search mode. The news, announced Wednesday, marks the latest expansion of the role of AI agents in people's shopping habits. Google's new artificial-intelligence shopping feature, similar to those offered by other tech companies, requires a user's permission to make the final decision to purchase. For example, if a user asks Gemini for advice on finding a winter coat in a certain style, colour and size, the AI agent could recommend options from participating retailer Simons, and the user could choose to buy that item without having to visit the Simons website. For retailers, the growing use of AI agents represents an opportunity and a challenge: maintaining a connection with their customers and building loyalty.