AI shopping agents are coming for retail, and big companies are preparing

Consulting firm Kearney has published a report on agentic commerce, based on a survey of more than 100 leading global companies. The term describes AI tools that search, compare and buy things on a person's behalf. The report suggests big businesses are already thinking about how to handle shoppers who send a digital assistant instead of browsing themselves.

What agentic commerce means

Today, you search for a product, read reviews, compare prices and then pay. With an AI shopping agent, you would tell a tool what you want, and it would do those steps for you. It might even complete the purchase. The idea is simple. The change for sellers is large, because the buyer may never see their website.

Who is in the middle

Three groups are in play: stores, payment firms and AI makers. Each wants a say in who controls the sale. If an AI tool picks the product and handles the payment, the store loses some of its direct link to the customer. Kearney's survey looks at how large companies are preparing for that shift.

What is not known yet

The full article text was not available, so the survey's findings, percentages and company names are not covered here. It is also unclear how soon shoppers will use these tools in large numbers.

What to do

Business owners can start with a basic question: could an AI tool find your products, understand them and complete a payment? Clear product details and simple checkout are a sensible place to begin.