This AI Agent Does The ENTIRE Sourcing & E-Commerce Workflow For You

Accio is an agentic B2B sourcing agent tied directly into supplier databases to let you identify trends, create products, and negotiate with suppliers with AI.

This video shows you how to code a bot that automatically identifies trends and then uses Accio to automate the whole real-time trends to suppliers portion of the ecom workflow. Enjoy!

Step-by-Step Workflow

0) Prereqs (10–30 mins)

  • Create accounts: Axio (the AI sourcing/e-com agent mentioned), Google Trends (or pytrends), a supplier marketplace (e.g., Alibaba), and a storage hub (Airtable/Notion/Sheets).

  • Set environment variables (example):

    • AXIO_API_KEY={{your_key}}

    • BRAND_NAME={{brand_name}}

    • TARGET_MARKETS={{US|UK|EU}}

1) Ideation / Seed Concept

Goal: Start from a general concept (e.g., “trend-inspired drinkware” rather than an IP-infringing “Squid Game cups”).
Output: A neutral product theme that won’t violate IP.

Checklist

  • Avoid trademarks/characters/brands unless you have a license.

  • Define constraints: price band, materials, certifications (e.g., LFGB/FDA for food-contact), MOQ, lead time.

2) Trend Discovery (Google Trends → Keyword Shortlist)

Goal: Find what’s surging (e.g., “Stanley cup tumbler accessories,” “air fryer liners”).
Inputs: Seed topics like tumbler, air fryer, gym recovery, pet travel.
Process:

  1. Pull Interest over time for last 12 months and Related queries.

  2. Score keywords: growth rate, seasonality risk, geo concentration, competition sentiment (quick Amazon/YouTube scan).

  3. Filter out trademarked phrases.

Decision Rule (example)

  • Keep if 12-week growth ≥ +25% AND ≥ 2 geos with interest ≥ 50/100 AND not trademarked.

Deliverable: trend_shortlist.csv with columns
keyword, growth_score, seasonality_flag, ip_risk, notes

3) Auto-Filter & Prompt Builder (AI creates the Axio brief)

Goal: Turn hot keywords into a structured brief Axio can act on.

Prompt Template → Axio

You are a product sourcing & design agent for {{BRAND_NAME}}.
Goal: propose and source 3 product concepts inspired by the keyword "{{keyword}}"
— without infringing intellectual property.

Constraints:
- Target landed unit cost: ${{target_landed_cost}}
- Retail: ${{target_retail}} (min margin {{target_margin}}%)
- Materials & standards: {{materials}}, {{certifications}}
- MOQ: {{moq}}, Lead time: {{lead_time}}
- Differentiation: {{differentiators}} (e.g., leak-proof lid, stackable, dishwasher-safe)
- Packaging: retail-ready, barcoded, recyclable
- Regions to source: {{regions}}; ship to {{markets}}

Outputs (JSON + assets):
1) Product Requirements (dimensions, BOM, finishes, colorways)
2) Risk & compliance notes (food-contact? electronics? labeling?)
3) 2–3 concept render prompts + simple line mockups
4) Supplier brief + first-contact message for Alibaba/1688
5) RFQ fields (MOQ/price tiers/tooling/samples/lead time/incoterms)
6) Listing draft (title, bullets, A+ sections, search terms)

4) Axio Execution (Design + Supplier Brief + Outreach Drafts)

Goal: Let Axio generate product designs, PRDs, and supplier messages.

Expected Axio Outputs

  • PRD: specs, materials, tolerances, QC checklist.

  • Concept visuals: simple mockups or image prompts (you can refine with your design tool of choice).

  • Supplier pack: RFQ sheet + first message and follow-ups.

  • Listing draft: title/bullets/description/keywords (optional but handy).

Supplier Message Template (from Axio output, you can paste into Alibaba)

Subject: RFQ – {{product_name}} for {{market}}
Hi {{supplier_name}},

We’re {{BRAND_NAME}}, sourcing {{product_name}} with specs:
- Material: {{material}}, Capacity/Size: {{size}}
- Finish/colors: {{finish}}
- Certifications needed: {{certs}}
- Packaging: retail box, barcode, insert card

Please provide:
- Quote by quantity tiers (500 / 1,000 / 2,500 units)
- Mold/tooling fees (if any)
- Sample cost & lead time
- Production lead time
- Incoterms: EXW and FOB {{port}}
- Logo customization (method, cost)
- QA/defect policy

Thanks! 
{{name}} / {{role}} / {{email}}

5) Human-in-the-Loop Gate (Fast Review)

Goal: Don’t ship junk. Approve/decline each concept quickly.

5-Minute Gate

  • IP/Compliance: Any obvious trademark/copyright risks? (If yes → reject.)

  • Unit Economics: Landed ≤ target; margin ≥ threshold?

  • Differentiation: At least 2 non-trivial features that matter?

  • Ops risk: Lead time, MOQ, fragility, returns risk acceptable?

If YES to all → green-light RFQs.

6) RFQ & Supplier Down-Select

Goal: Collect 3–5 quotes, compare apples-to-apples.

RFQ Sheet Columns
Supplier, MOQ, Unit_Price_EXW, Unit_Price_FOB, Tooling, Sample_Cost, Production_Lead_Time, Payment_Terms, Customization_Options, Certs, Notes

Decision Rule

  • Shortlist suppliers with: Unit_Price_FOB ≤ target, Lead_Time ≤ target, Certs OK, strong comms.

7) Sample & QA Plan

Goal: Validate before committing.

Sample Checklist

  • Weight, dimensions, finish, function test (e.g., leak, heat, dishwasher)

  • Packaging drop test

  • Barcode scan + insert accuracy

  • Photo quick-shoot for listing viability

Pass/Fail → iterate with Axio (revise PRD) or proceed.

8) Design Finalization & Listing Prep (Optional but powerful)

Even if the video focuses on sourcing, close the loop:

  • Finalize assets: hero images, infographics, lifestyle shots, 45-sec video.

  • Listing pack: Title (SEO), Bullets (benefits), Description/A+, Search terms, Q&A seed list.

  • Compliance: Warnings, materials declarations, care instructions.

9) Orchestration (Automation Glue)

If you’re integrating Axio into a custom automation tool (as in the video), wire it like this:

Data Flow

Google Trends → Filter/Score → Prompt Builder → Axio API
→ Outputs (PRD, RFQ, supplier messages, drafts)
→ Storage (Airtable/Sheets/DB)
→ Notifications (Slack/Email)
→ Human Review → RFQs Sent → Supplier Responses Logged

Pseudocode (illustrative)

from trends import get_hot_keywords
from filters import score_and_filter
from prompts import build_axio_prompt
from axio import run_axio_job
from storage import upsert_rows, notify

seeds = ["tumbler", "air fryer", "gym recovery"]
raw = get_hot_keywords(seeds, window="12m")
shortlist = score_and_filter(raw, min_growth=0.25, dedupe=True, ip_check=True)

for kw in shortlist:
    prompt = build_axio_prompt(keyword=kw, brand="BRAND", targets={...})
    result = run_axio_job(prompt)  # returns PRD, supplier_msg, RFQ schema, listing draft, assets
    upsert_rows("concepts", result.summary_rows)
    notify(f"Axio concept ready for '{kw}': {result.url}")

No-Code Variant (Zapier/Make)

  • Trigger: weekly Google Trends export → AI filter step → Webhook to Axio → Record outputs in Airtable → Slack notify → Gmail draft to suppliers.

10) Example Run (from the video’s spirit)

Trending inputs: “Stanley cup tumblers”, “air fryer accessories”.

Axio-style outputs you should expect:

  • Concept A: 40oz insulated tumbler organizer insert (dishwasher-safe, BPA-free)

    • Landed target: ≤ $6.50, Retail: $24.99–$29.99

    • Differentiators: fits top 3 brands, removable compartments, drip tray

  • Concept B: Air fryer silicone basket with reinforced ribs + tab handles

    • Landed target: ≤ $2.20, Retail: $9.99–$14.99

    • Differentiators: better grease channels, size labels embossed, color 3-pack

Supplier first-contact and RFQ sheet auto-generated as above.

Templates & Checklists

A) Product Requirements (PRD) Mini-Spec (paste into Axio or your doc)

Product: {{name}}
Use case: {{situation}}
Materials & grade: {{materials}}
Dimensions & tolerances: {{dims}}
Finish/colorways: {{finish}}
Functional reqs: {{functions}}
Certifications: {{certs}}
Packaging: {{packaging}}
QC checks: {{qc}}
Care/Warnings: {{care}}
Target costs: EXW ${{exw}}, Landed ${{landed}}, Retail ${{retail}}
KPIs: return_rate <= {{x}}%, review_avg >= {{y}}★ in 90 days

B) Rapid IP & Risk Sweep

  • USPTO/WIPO quick search for exact phrase

  • Amazon search → spot branded look-alikes

  • Safety: food-contact, child product, battery → extra compliance?

C) Unit Economics (Landed Cost)

FOB + freight + duty + 3PL inbound + FBA + packaging + returns reserve

Governance & Guardrails (important)

  • IP compliance: Do not use brand names/characters (e.g., “Squid Game”) without a license. Keep designs inspired by trends, not direct references.

  • Data hygiene: Log every supplier quote with date/terms.

  • Human approval: Require a human sign-off before sending any RFQ or placing POs.

  • Kill-switch: If Axio proposes any risky spec (e.g., claims “BPA-free” without material proof), route to manual review.

KPIs to Track

  • Time to concept (hours) and to first RFQ (days)

  • Quotes received per concept; shortlist rate; sample pass rate

  • Landed cost vs target; gross margin

  • Listing readiness time; first-30-day review average; return rate

Where to get the code & Axio access

Per the video: the creator shares his custom tool’s code (free) in the description and an invite code for Axio. Use those to bootstrap your stack, then slot in the prompts/templates above.

AI Shopping Assistant, AI Shopping Assistants, Autonomous SourcingFrancesca Tabor