On February 20, eBay’s updated user agreement goes into effect, banning third-party AI agents that autonomously buy for consumers, targeting the emerging “buy-for-me” tools designed to handle discovery, decisioning, and checkout.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how social platforms became such an important touchpoint for retail, what retailers have done to make social commerce feel like real retail, how creators are evolving from marketing vehicles into platform storefronts for brands, and more. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, and Senior Analysts Carina Lamb and Minda Smiley.

Roundel joins OpenAI’s pilot to capture high-intent AI shopping moments.

As conversational AI becomes a new entry point for discovery, advertisers are rethinking how relevance and usefulness show up in these environments. Roundel’s pilot with OpenAI offers an early look at what user-first advertising could mean inside AI-driven conversations.

Estée Lauder sued the retailer over counterfeits, alleging lax oversight.

An AI assistant builds carts from lists or photos, shifting brand power from shelf space to algorithmic visibility.