In addition, the move has provided a strong foundation for advancing AI-powered discovery that is more intuitive and personalized. The curation journey typically starts with inspiration—and increasingly, conversations with AI. Wayfair is exploring ways Google's family of Gemini models, such as Nano Banana, can help customers visualize products and hone in on their favorite styles, piloting a new AI-powered design tool Muse and a Discover tab that let customers browse photo-realistic room designs and imagery to spark ideas.

"Now, with generative AI and the multimodal capabilities that come with Gemini, I can show you all the different styles and as a customer interacts, we can then arrive on a style that you want," Tan explains. "You can find that very visual, inspirational journey that honestly just did not exist before. That is going to be so powerful for Wayfair." 

These new features are bridging a critical gap in the shopping journey, allowing customers to connect abstract inspiration to real products in Wayfair's current inventory through natural language and visual discovery. With Muse, for example, a shopper can type in any style of room they are looking for, as specific as "moody 1920s style living room" or as generic as "dining room," delivering rich AI imagery, along with shoppable suggestions from Wayfair's catalog.

"Having a notion of a vibe or a style or a feeling, being able to see different options, and the part that really comes to life is that we have real products that can fulfill this vision that you have," Tan says. "Everybody should feel like they have an interior design co-pilot with them the entire time that they're shopping on Wayfair."

The UCP establishes a common language between consumer surfaces, businesses, and payment providers, ensuring reliable interactions whether a customer shops with Wayfair directly or through external partners. Soon, the UCP will power a new experience on eligible Google product listings in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, allowing customers to checkout directly from Wayfair—without having to leave Google. 

"It's exciting to see a customer who can ask questions from within the AI mode or Gemini and be able to discover products from Wayfair, do some research on it, and then check out," Tan says. "The fact that the merchant of record is still the retailer is extremely key because we've all built on our brand promise." 

Experiences like these are laying the groundwork for a far more ambitious vision, paving the way for a more integrated, connected retail future. At the same time, Tan believes the beauty of the protocol is that it will give retailers more freedom to meet customers where they are while maintaining control over their processes and core values.

"We stand behind our products, we've got great customer service, and we have the ability to fulfill and deliver to you," Tan says. "We want to make sure that our customers continue to have that trust in our brand, and with UCP, it allows you the best of both worlds."