Agentic Commerce is Here: The New Era of AI-Powered Shopping

For years, the online shopping journey has been a "browse and hope" experience. Shoppers start with a search, then scroll through pages, click on links, read reviews, and repeat the process. This can be time-consuming and often leads to low conversion rates.

But consumer behavior is changing rapidly. A new journey is emerging: the "shop for me" experience. Shoppers are increasingly starting their product research with AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity. They're looking for these assistants to do the heavy lifting—from recommending products to comparing options and even making the final purchase.

A study by Adobe Analytics revealed a significant surge in traffic to U.S. retail sites from AI assistants, and this traffic is doubling every two months. This is a clear signal that AI is not just a tool for retailers; it's becoming an integral part of the customer's journey.

Your New Storefront: The AI Shopping Assistant

As more shoppers turn to AI, the traditional e-commerce storefront is evolving. The new face of your brand may not be a static website, but an AI-powered shopping assistant. This assistant is the primary point of contact for customers and even other AI agents.

Here's why this matters for your business:

• More Engagement: Retailers who have implemented advanced AI shopping assistants are seeing a massive increase in engagement. These assistants go beyond answering simple questions; they proactively guide the customer through a more immersive, visual, and conversion-driven journey from the first click to checkout.
• Driving Revenue Today: While you're preparing for the future, these AI assistants can deliver tangible results now. Some merchants are already reporting a 3% to 6% incremental revenue lift from these tools.
• A New Level of Personalization: The true power of an AI assistant lies in its ability to understand and remember customer preferences. For example, a fashion assistant can learn about a shopper's body type and style, while a wine agent can remember a customer's favorite notes and varietals. This allows for a hyper-personalized experience that's impossible with traditional search.

How to Prepare for the Agentic Future

This new era of commerce presents a massive opportunity for brands that are ready to adapt. The good news is that you don't have to overhaul your entire business overnight. Here's a high-level framework for getting started:

Here's why this matters for your business:

• Make Your Data Agent-Ready: This is the most crucial first step. Ensure your product data is clean, well-structured, and rich with detailed information. AI agents will crawl this data to understand your products, so the better your data, the more effectively you'll show up in their recommendations.
• Build Trust Signals: Agents and humans alike will look for trust. Strengthen your user-generated content (UGC) and customer reviews, and ensure your fulfillment and return policies are transparent and reliable. This trust is what will make a customer, or an agent, choose your brand.
• Laying the Foundation for the Future: The best way to prepare for agentic commerce is by implementing an AI shopping assistant on your site today. This isn't an experiment; it's a strategic investment. An AI assistant is a foundational feature that streamlines customer interactions, enriches your data, and makes your entire digital storefront ready for the future. It's a permanent solution that delivers value now and prepares your brand to evolve with this new paradigm.
  
  The future of Agentic Commerce isn't a distant event, it's a journey that's already begun. By taking these steps, you can ensure your brand is not only prepared but also well-positioned to thrive in this new landscape.

Want to Learn More?

For a deeper dive into Agentic Commerce and to hear exclusive insights directly from the panelists, watch the full webinar replay here: Agentic Commerce Webinar