Gap Becomes First Fashion Retailer to Enable AI Checkout Through Google Gemini

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3.26.2026

Quick Facts

Gap became the first major fashion retailer to integrate checkout directly in Google Gemini on March 24, 2026
Partnership with Bold Metrics delivers 18% average reduction in fit-related returns through AI-powered sizing recommendations
Customers can purchase from Gap’s brands directly in Google Search AI Mode without visiting the company’s website

Gap Inc. rolled out two AI-powered shopping technologies designed to solve the apparel industry’s biggest pain points: sizing uncertainty and checkout friction.

The company became the first major fashion retailer to enable purchases through Google Gemini’s AI chat interface. Customers can now buy products from Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta while searching in AI Mode on Google Search and the Gemini app without being redirected to Gap’s website.

“We are not pursuing AI for novelty,” said Sven Gerjets, Gap’s Chief Technology Officer. “These partnerships are about solving real customer problems — helping shoppers feel confident about fit and making it easier to complete a purchase.”

The second technology comes through a partnership with Bold Metrics, which creates digital twins of shoppers using over 50 body measurements. The AI-powered sizing platform generates personalized fit recommendations on a style-by-style basis from just four to six simple customer inputs.

Bold Metrics drives an 18% average reduction in fit-related returns for customers who follow the recommended size versus those who don’t. The technology has generated over 75 million digital twins to date.

“AI shopping agents hitting the market right now struggle to answer the most critical question in apparel,” said Morgan Linton, Bold Metrics’ Chief Technology Officer. “The moment a shopper asks, ‘What size should I get?’ the AI agent does not have a clear path to accurately determine the right size.”

The moves address major industry challenges. Apparel has the highest ecommerce return rate at 20-30%, with sizing and fit issues causing 45% of all returns. Gap’s annual sales reached $6.37 billion in 2025 with a conversion rate of 3.0-3.5%.

Gap chose Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol over competitors because it gives merchants better control over the shopping experience. OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol was designed more for product discovery, according to Gerjets.

The initiative reflects Gap’s broader AI strategy. The company rebuilt its digital foundation on Google Cloud to support AI across all customer journeys, not as isolated use cases.

“We want to be very early,” Gerjets said. “We’re not in the wait and see mode around AI at all. We really want to lean in.”