NEW YORK — May 11, 2026
Executive Summary
Swap has announced the public debut of its first agentic storefront through a multi-city Brand in Residency collaboration with AIR MAIL at AIR MAIL retail newsstands in London and New York City. The initiative introduces Swap Storefront, a conversational e-commerce platform designed to guide shoppers from product discovery to checkout through a single AI-powered interaction.
The residency includes immersive retail installations, curated merchandise, interactive demonstrations, café experiences, and community-focused programming tied to the company’s “Talk to My Agent” campaign. The London activation coincides with the Pulse commerce and retail conference, while the New York residency extends the campaign into AIR MAIL’s West Village newsstand location. According to Swap, the launch marks the introduction of a new category of AI-led commerce experiences designed to replace traditional static online storefronts with conversational shopping environments. Pulse
Announcement Overview
Swap stated that the residency represents the first public unveiling of Swap Storefront, which the company describes as an AI-powered storefront experience where customers interact conversationally with a brand throughout the shopping process. The initiative spans AIR MAIL newsstand locations in both London and New York and transforms the retail spaces into branded environments designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the platform in a live setting.
According to the company, the storefront experience is intended to move beyond traditional e-commerce browsing by introducing guided interactions that support product discovery, decision-making, virtual try-ons, and checkout within a unified conversational flow. The launch campaign, titled “Talk to My Agent,” centers on the concept of customers engaging directly with a brand’s intelligent storefront layer in a more personalized shopping environment.
The residency also includes a range of experiential components intended to merge retail, editorial culture, and commerce technology into a single public activation. Programming associated with the residency includes branded events, curated retail moments, and gatherings involving founders, editors, operators, and commerce professionals from across the industry.
Key Announcement Details
- Announcement Type: Multi-city brand residency and agentic storefront launch
- Companies Involved: Swap and AIR MAIL
- Campaign Name: Talk to My Agent
- Launch Focus: Public unveiling of Swap Storefront
- Platform Category: AI-powered conversational commerce storefront
- Core Functionality: Guided shopping from discovery to checkout through a single conversation
- Retail Locations: AIR MAIL newsstands in London and New York City
- London Residency Venue: Shreeji Newsagents, 6 Chiltern Street
- London Residency Dates: May 11–15, 2026
- New York Residency Venue: AIR MAIL Newsstand, 546 Hudson Street
- New York Residency Dates: May 18–24, 2026
- Programming Elements: Interactive demos, curated merchandise, café moments, branded installations, community events
- Conference Alignment: London residency timed to Pulse commerce and retail conference
- Featured Event: AIR MAIL x Swap happy hour for founders, operators, and editors
- Swap Founders: Sam Atkinson and Zach Bailet
- Swap Founded: 2022
- Current Merchant Network: 800+ brands
- Technology Focus: Agent-led commerce and conversational shopping experiences
- Customer Experience Features: Product discovery, virtual try-on, personalized guidance, checkout integration
- Operational Services: Cross-border commerce, returns, inventory, tax, and compliance infrastructure
- AIR MAIL Founded: 2019
- AIR MAIL Business Focus: Digital media, cultural storytelling, events, retail, and commerce experiences
- Recent Corporate Development: AIR MAIL joined Puck in 2025
- Additional Information Website: swap-commerce.com/talk-to-my-agent
The Launch of Swap Storefront
Introducing an Agentic Commerce Experience
Swap stated that the launch introduces what the company describes as the first “agentic storefront,” a model designed to transform traditional e-commerce websites into AI-powered conversational experiences.
According to the company, the platform is structured to support:
- Product discovery through conversational interaction
- Guided customer decision-making
- Integrated virtual try-on capabilities
- Checkout within a single branded flow
- Brand-controlled AI shopping experiences
- Personalized shopper engagement
The company stated that the storefront experience is designed to provide shoppers with a more seamless path from browsing to purchasing while allowing brands to maintain direct control over customer interactions and merchandising experiences.
Swap also stated that its conversational storefront model is intended to replace static online shopping interfaces with guided interactions capable of adapting to individual customer preferences and behaviors throughout the purchasing journey.
Multi-City Public Residency Activation
The public launch is taking place through a Brand in Residency initiative across AIR MAIL’s retail newsstand locations in both London and New York City.
The residency includes:
- Branded storefront installations
- Interactive product demonstrations
- Curated merchandise selections
- Editorial-inspired takeaways
- Café experiences and hospitality moments
- Community-focused programming
- Industry networking events
According to the announcement, the residency is designed to transform AIR MAIL’s physical retail environments into immersive expressions of the Swap Storefront experience while introducing consumers and industry participants to the platform in person.
Swap stated that the activation is intended to demonstrate how conversational commerce can operate within both physical and digital environments simultaneously.
Talk to My Agent Campaign
Campaign Concept and Positioning
The residency is anchored around Swap’s “Talk to My Agent” campaign, which the company stated is built around the idea of shoppers speaking directly with a brand’s intelligent storefront layer.
According to Swap, the campaign reflects several core concepts associated with the platform, including:
- Conversational shopping interactions
- Personalized customer guidance
- AI-powered brand representation
- Interactive commerce experiences
- Brand-led decision support
- Humanized digital storefront experiences
The company stated that the campaign is intended to position agentic commerce as a new category within retail and e-commerce rather than as an extension of existing chatbot or widget-based technologies.
Swap also stated that the in-person residency experience was intentionally designed to mirror the conversational nature of the storefront itself through personalized and interactive retail experiences.
Focus on Guided Shopping Experiences
According to the company, the platform is intended to support shoppers throughout multiple stages of the purchasing process.
These stages include:
- Initial product discovery
- Product comparison and evaluation
- Interactive recommendations
- Virtual product exploration
- Purchase completion
- Brand-guided navigation
Swap stated that the objective of the storefront experience is to create a shopping environment where discovery and conversion occur through a continuous conversation rather than through isolated browsing sessions across multiple pages or interfaces.
Leadership Statements
Commentary From Swap Leadership
Sam Atkinson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Swap, stated that the launch reflects broader changes taking place within digital commerce experiences.
According to Atkinson:
“We’ve launched the first agentic storefront at a moment when commerce is moving from static browsing to guided interaction, creating a new model for how shoppers discover, decide, and convert. We’re excited to celebrate the launch with AIR MAIL. Rather than introducing a product through a traditional software launch, Swap is introducing a category through culture – showing the future storefront is not another widget or chatbot, but an interface designed to improve conversion while keeping brands in control.”
Swap stated that the partnership with AIR MAIL was selected as part of an effort to introduce the platform through experiential and cultural programming rather than through a conventional software-focused product launch structure.
Commentary From AIR MAIL Leadership
Liz Gough, Chief Revenue Officer of AIR MAIL, commented on the residency and the company’s involvement in the launch initiative.
According to Gough:
“We’re always looking for ways to bring unexpected, culturally relevant experiences to our audience, and this residency does exactly that. Our newsstands are a place for discovery, and we’re delighted to welcome Swap into that tradition and give our community a first look at what they’re building.”
AIR MAIL stated that its retail newsstand environments are intended to function as spaces focused on discovery, editorial engagement, and community interaction, which aligns with the experiential positioning of the Swap residency.
Residency Locations and Schedule
London Residency Details
The London activation is taking place at:
- Shreeji Newsagents
- 6 Chiltern Street
- London
- May 11 through May 15, 2026
According to the announcement, the London takeover week is timed to coincide with Pulse, described in the announcement as a leading commerce and retail conference.
Programming associated with the London residency includes:
- AIR MAIL x Swap happy hour events
- Founder gatherings
- Operator networking
- Editor participation
- Commerce industry community programming
Swap stated that the London programming is intended to bring together participants from across retail, commerce, technology, and media sectors during the conference period.
New York Residency Details
The New York activation is scheduled to take place at:
- AIR MAIL Newsstand
- 546 Hudson Street
- Manhattan’s West Village
- May 18 through May 24, 2026
According to the company, the New York residency continues the public rollout of the Talk to My Agent campaign and extends the storefront experience to AIR MAIL’s existing retail and editorial audience in New York City.
The company stated that the New York location will feature the same immersive retail environment and conversational storefront demonstrations introduced during the London residency.
AIL Brand and Media Expansion
Editorial and Cultural Positioning
AIR MAIL stated that the publication was launched in 2019 and has developed a focus on cultural reporting, essays, commentary, and editorial storytelling.
According to the company, AIR MAIL publishes content covering:
- International affairs
- Arts and culture
- Literature
- Style and fashion
- Beauty and wellness
- Crime and scandal reporting
- Society and lifestyle coverage
The company stated that its editorial model is centered around long-form storytelling and contributions from journalists and cultural voices across multiple industries.
Events and Community Programming
AIR MAIL also stated that it convenes cultural and industry communities through large-scale events and brand partnerships.
Examples referenced in the announcement include:
- Cannes Film Festival events with Warner Bros.
- Tom Wolfe Literary Prizes with Montblanc
- Luxury partnership activations
- Editorial and cultural gatherings
According to the company, these initiatives are part of a broader strategy focused on expanding AIR MAIL’s reach across media, events, retail, and cultural programming.
Retail and Commerce Expansion
AIR MAIL stated that its retail operations include:
- AIR SUPPLY online storefront
- Brick-and-mortar newsstand operations
- Gift and lifestyle merchandising
- Retail discovery experiences
The company stated that the Manhattan West Village newsstand serves as both a retail location and a physical extension of the AIR MAIL editorial brand.
Puck Acquisition
According to the announcement, AIR MAIL joined Puck in 2025 through an acquisition that combined AIR MAIL’s editorial and cultural content with Puck’s subscriber engagement and media business infrastructure.
The company stated that the acquisition was intended to combine AIR MAIL’s focus on culture, society, and lifestyle coverage with Puck’s operational scale and audience engagement model.
Public Access and Additional Information
Swap stated that additional information regarding the Talk to My Agent campaign and the first agentic storefront initiative is available through the company’s online platform.
The company stated that the residency is intended to provide consumers, commerce professionals, media participants, and retail operators with a direct introduction to conversational storefront technology through in-person interaction and experiential retail programming.
According to the announcement, the initiative is positioned as both a product launch and a public demonstration of agentic commerce experiences operating within branded retail environments.
Swap’s Commerce Platform and Infrastructure
Company Background
Swap stated that the company was founded in 2022 by Sam Atkinson and Zach Bailet.
According to the company, Swap developed the first agentic storefront designed to replace traditional static merchant websites with conversational shopping experiences powered by AI-driven agents.
The company stated that the platform supports:
- Immersive shopping experiences
- Agent-led product discovery
- Virtual try-on capabilities
- Integrated checkout experiences
- Unified branded customer flows
- Cross-border commerce operations
Merchant Infrastructure Services
In addition to storefront technology, Swap stated that it provides operational infrastructure services for merchants operating globally.
These services include:
- Cross-border commerce infrastructure
- Returns management
- Inventory systems
- Tax compliance support
- Global compliance operations
- Unified commerce management
According to the company, the platform is currently used by more than 800 brands.
Swap stated that its infrastructure is intended to help merchants manage global commerce operations through a centralized platform capable of supporting both operational and customer-facing commerce functions.
Media Contact
For additional information, visit swap-commerce.com.
Source Attribution
Source: Company announcement
