Google is continuing to expand ads across AI Mode and now there's another type of ad unit for retailers to play with. We know that AI Mode is the future of Search and that means Google will need to continue innovating on the advertising front. In January, Google announced "new tech and tools" for retailers which included agentic commerce and direct offers for retailers. But I just spotted "Sponsored Stores" when performing an ecommerce search and that's the first time I have seen that in AI Mode.
Once I performed the search and clicked a product in the answer within AI Mode, ecommerce information was populated in the right sidebar (like it normally is). But, when scrolling through the information, I spotted "Sponsored Stores". This is a great, and easy, way for Google to generate ad revenue within AI Mode. We know a ton of people search for shopping-related information and giving retailers the ability to sponsor their store is a no-brainer in my opinion.
You can see a screenshot below of what this looks like:
And here is my tweet about this, which also contains information about "Quick results from the web", which I also found interesting. Google provided two quick links out to gap.com for the shopping query before the answer was provided in AI Mode. "Quick results" is not necessarily new, but it was interesting to see that above the answer. Note, those are organic links and not ads.
More ads in AI Mode -> Two interesting AI mode findings this morning. First, a "Sponsored stores" link when clicking a product in AI Mode. More monetization options for Google there.
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 25, 2026
Second, AI Mode provided "Quick results from the web" at the top of the response (driving me… pic.twitter.com/grEnmxu3gk
Again, it will be interesting to see how Google innovates on the ad side when it comes to AI surfaces like AI Mode. Sponsored Stores is another option for retailers. Keep your eyes peeled for the new ad unit when using AI Mode.
GG
