Ecommerce Founders Who Ignore This Type of AI Will Lose Their Best Customers — Here’s Why
The article discusses the emerging trend of agentic commerce, where AI takes over the purchasing process for consumers. Major retailers like Walmart and Target are adopting this technology, indicating a significant trend in the ecommerce space.
This matters to franchise investors and multi-unit operators as the integration of AI in the shopping experience can fundamentally alter consumer behavior and competitive dynamics in retail, requiring adaptation to maintain market share.
Ecommerce is undergoing a significant transformation with the rise of agentic commerce, where AI agents serve as autonomous shopping assistants to manage the entire purchase journey for consumers. This innovation is fundamentally changing how people shop online, making the traditional, human-driven buying process more efficient. Notably, major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Macy's, Lowe's, and Amazon are integrating AI into their ecommerce strategies, indicating that smaller businesses must also adapt to this shift to remain competitive.
The term "agentic commerce" refers to AI acting on behalf of consumers to fulfill their shopping needs. An AI agent can conduct searches across various product databases, review sites, and brand pages to compare specifications, analyze reviews, check pricing and availability, and make purchase recommendations or complete transactions directly. This capability is poised to redefine the ecommerce landscape, as evidenced by Google CEO Sundar Pichai's announcement of the Universal Commerce Protocol, establishing that the ability for AI to facilitate purchases is no longer in development but already operational.
According to projections from Salesforce, during Cyber Week 2025, an estimated 20% of orders were generated through AI agents, equating to approximately $70 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV). Furthermore, a report from IBM suggests that by January 2026, 45% of consumers are expected to incorporate AI into at least part of their buying journey, highlighting growing consumer reliance on AI technology in shopping. The engagement of leading brands and retailers in developing agentic AI solutions underscores the urgency for businesses to adapt.
As prominent companies seek partnerships with technology providers to enhance their ecommerce capabilities, it is imperative for all ecommerce stakeholders, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, to recognize the evolutionary nature of agentic commerce. The collective movement towards AI in retail signals that those who do not embrace this trend risk losing valuable customers. This evolution marks one of the most significant shifts in ecommerce since the introduction of one-click purchasing by Amazon, necessitating quick adaptation for survival in the rapidly changing marketplace.