How ready are independent stores for AI shoppers?

Only 3.9% of the stores we tested are agent-ready.

16 of the 414 stores earn an A (Agent-ready). Another 156 earn a B (Mostly ready). The median score is 79 and the average 73: half the stores score 79 or more, a point short of a B, and the findings below show the few gaps that hold nearly all of them back.

Source: Scayl, Agentic Commerce Grader, 414 independent stores tested once each, 26–27 Oct 2026. Grades as the Grader gives them.

Agents can get in. Trust is where stores fall short.

The Grader's 21 checks fall into four groups. Of the checks that could be tested, the stores passed 84% of Seen and 84% of Buyable, but only 54% of Understood and 35% of Trusted.

1. Seen: Can agents reach and read your pages?84%5 checks
2. Understood: Do agents understand your products?54%7 checks
3. Trusted: Can agents verify your delivery and return terms?35%3 checks
4. Buyable: Can agents complete the purchase? (checkout not tested)84%6 checks

Share of passed checks among those that could be tested on each store. Buyable here covers express wallets, cart links (inferred from the store's platform) and agent checkout (a published UCP manifest): checkout itself (3 checks) is tested only when a store's owner opts in, so it is left out.

92% keep shipping and returns out of the data agents read.

An agent comparing stores needs the delivery cost, the delivery time and the returns terms. Most stores have a readable returns page (85%). But only 16% state both delivery cost and time before checkout, 44% show them only at checkout, and 92% put neither shipping nor returns in their structured data, the markup agents read first.

1. Shipping and returns are in structured data92%failed, of 414
2. Shipping costs and times are stated44%failed, of 413
3. The returns policy is easy to find15%failed, of 404

PassedPartlyFailedShare of the stores each check could be tested on

Shares of the stores each check could be tested on. Source: Scayl, Agentic Commerce Grader, 26–27 Oct 2026.

Agents can read your price. They can't compare you.

80% of stores put the price in their structured data, and 73% the stock. But only 19% give brand, SKU and barcode (GTIN): most (65%) have brand and SKU but no GTIN. Only 22% describe products specifically enough to choose by, and 17% put ratings in their markup. On 65% the agent found no ratings at all.

1. Ratings can be read17%passed, of 413
2. Products have identifiers (GTIN, SKU)19%passed, of 414
3. Descriptions are specific enough to choose by22%passed, of 413
4. Stock is in the structured data73%passed, of 414
5. The price is in the structured data80%passed, of 414
6. Products carry structured data82%passed, of 414
7. Variants can be read and picked89%passed, of 366

PassedPartlyFailedShare of the stores each check could be tested on

The figure is the share that passed, of the stores each check could be tested on; checks sorted from least to most often passed.

Shopify stores average 78.3. No other platform reaches 60.

336 of the 414 stores run on Shopify. WooCommerce stores average 57.3, headless Shopify builds 46 and other platforms 47.3. On WooCommerce, 87% of stores have no agent checkout protocol.

1. Shopify78.3336 stores
2. WooCommerce57.323 stores
3. Other platforms47.347 stores
4. Shopify, headless468 stores

Platforms with fewer than 5 stores are counted under Other platforms.

Activewear brands lead at 83.1. Tech accessory brands trail at 60.5.

Each niche has 10 to 33 stores, so read small differences with care. The gap is the same almost everywhere: shipping and returns in structured data is the most-failed check in 19 of the 20 niches.

1. Activewear brands83.117 stores
2. Women's fashion boutiques79.433 stores
3. Supplement and wellness brands78.710 stores
4. Men's apparel brands78.421 stores
5. Baby and kids brands77.413 stores
6. Stationery and craft stores76.315 stores
7. Skincare brands75.225 stores
8. Pet supply brands74.612 stores
9. Candle and home fragrance brands73.324 stores
10. Footwear and sock brands73.319 stores
11. Outdoor and camping gear brands73.116 stores
12. Home decor stores72.931 stores
13. Bag and leather goods brands72.424 stores
14. Specialty food brands71.923 stores
15. Makeup and cosmetics brands71.122 stores
16. Jewelry stores68.733 stores
17. Coffee roasters and tea shops68.127 stores
18. Kitchen and cookware brands66.418 stores
19. Toy and game makers66.219 stores
20. Tech accessory brands60.512 stores

Average score out of 100 per niche. Select a niche for its card.