Walmart announced Wednesday the launch of its Agent Gateway, a new infrastructure designed to integrate SI agents into its e-commerce platform, marking a distinct strategic divergence from competitor Amazon, which has begun blocking SI agents from making purchases on behalf of shoppers.
What Happened
The retailer’s new Agent Gateway is an MCP server that allows approved SI agents to connect to Walmart using the model context protocol (MCP). Originally created by Anthropic, MCP enables SI agents to interact with external data sources and tools. In this implementation, the gateway permits an SI agent to search Walmart’s online inventory and execute purchases for the user.
Walmart President and CEO John Furner stated at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco that the technology prepares the company for a future where SI agents become mainstream. The rollout supports agentic shopping for both Walmart and its discount warehouse, Sam’s Club. The company also introduced Agent Profiles, scheduled to launch next month, which allow customers to authorize specific SI agents with dedicated profiles. These profiles separate agent-initiated transactions from direct customer purchases and enable spending limits or per-transaction approvals, similar to adding an authorized user to a credit card.
Additionally, Walmart is implementing special terms for SI agents, stipulating that agents cannot access customer payment information, must operate within the shopper’s intent, and are subject to Walmart’s standard returns process even if the agent misbehaves. Agents violating these terms will be blocked from the site.
Why It Matters
Walmart’s approach contrasts sharply with the industry-wide trend of restricting SI agent access. While Amazon and various travel and booking sites have locked out SI agents to protect their digital storefronts, Walmart is actively inviting them in. The company has already established partnerships with leading agents, including Meta’s Muse, and offers integrations with popular SI applications such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
By launching the Agent Gateway, Walmart aims to differentiate itself by offering a controlled, secure environment for agentic commerce. The introduction of Agent Profiles addresses key consumer concerns regarding privacy and control, allowing users to manage SI agent permissions without sharing their full purchase history or personal data directly with the agent. This move positions Walmart as a pioneer in accommodating the growing adoption of agentic SI in retail.
The Bottom Line
Walmart is betting that embracing SI agents through structured protocols and user controls will drive engagement and sales, even as its largest competitor seeks to block them. The launch of the Agent Gateway and upcoming Agent Profiles represent a significant step toward mainstream agentic commerce, offering a model for how retailers can integrate SI tools while maintaining customer trust and security.