The future of AI in retail
Agentic commerce strategies
The days of consumers endlessly scrolling through digital storefronts are fading. Shoppers are increasingly telling AI agents what they need and letting the technology handle the rest. While agentic commerce is still taking shape, the foundation of this new retail environment is being laid right now. Explore how to assess the viability of this channel for your brand, uncover the steps to modernize your product data, and prepare for the future of retail.
Key takeaways
- Agentic commerce is emerging as a new shopping channel where consumers delegate tasks to AI agents that search, compare, and execute purchases.
- Brands must assess if this channel is the right strategic fit, as it favors standardized, comparable products over those relying on emotional allure or high human service.
- We’ve identified three strategic recommendations retail leaders can consider now to modernize their product data, guide targeted pilots, and scale capabilities to capture value.
The evolution of shopping channels
AI agents are beginning to take on the steps that consumers have historically done themselves: searching, comparing, evaluating, and purchasing. This emerging shift is not a single capability or use case; instead, it exists across a continuum, from AI-assisted search to fully autonomous buying.
Consumers are already adopting these platforms quickly, with more than a third of shoppers already utilizing AI to complete purchases. Retail leaders should make clear strategic choices now to adapt their operations before these automated habits solidify.
Should your business sell through agentic shopping channels?
Deciding whether to participate in agentic shopping requires a careful look at your overall channel portfolio. For some brands, it offers highly efficient demand capture, reaching shoppers who bypass traditional search to let AI handle low-friction, standardized purchases like household staples or beauty basics. For others, particularly luxury brands or complex service-oriented businesses, ceding direct customer relationships to a virtual mediator poses significant risks to margins, CRM data capture, and brand loyalty.
However, deciding to participate in agentic shopping is not the same as being ready to perform in it. Businesses should consider establishing highly structured product data, seamless payment rails, and interoperable systems that allow AI agents to not only discover their products but also complete transactions on behalf of the consumer.
Three moves to prepare your brand for agentic shopping
Finding a place on the algorithmic shelf
The shift toward agentic commerce is moving too quickly for retail brands to take a watch-and-wait approach. The retailers best positioned to win will likely be those that move early on foundations that are difficult to retrofit, such as product data quality, fulfillment accuracy, and pricing governance. Ultimately, the operational steps retail leaders take now may determine who captures value in this new automated marketplace and who cedes it to competitors.
