Agentic Commerce: How AI Agents Are Revolutionising E-commerce and Retail

A new paradigm is emerging in digital commerce: agentic commerce, namely commerce mediated by AI agents that search, compare and purchase products on behalf of consumers. This is no longer science fiction: according to Morgan Stanley, 10–20% of US e-commerce sales will be driven by agents by 2030, and McKinsey estimates that agentic commerce could generate up to 1 trillion dollars in retail revenue in the USA and 3–5 trillion globally. For anyone selling online, this radically changes the rules of visibility and conversion. In this article we explore what agentic commerce is and how companies need to prepare.

What Is Agentic Commerce

Agentic commerce is a model in which an AI agent acts on behalf of the consumer throughout the entire purchasing journey: it understands the need, searches for products, compares options and prices, and in some cases completes the transaction directly. On the business side, AI agents manage personalised recommendations, customer assistance, dynamic pricing and logistics. The customer no longer browses dozens of pages: they delegate to the agent, which returns the best solution.

The Numbers Behind Explosive Growth

The data on agentic commerce are among the most impressive in the AI landscape:

• McKinsey: agentic commerce could generate up to 1 trillion dollars in orchestrated retail revenue in the USA by 2030, and 3–5 trillion globally.
• Morgan Stanley: 10–20% of US e-commerce sales will be driven by agents by 2030.
• eMarketer: AI platforms will account for $20.9 billion in retail spend in 2026, nearly quadrupling the 2025 figure.
• 73% of consumers already use AI in their purchasing journey.

The Impact on Conversions

AI agents do not just shift volumes, but also the quality of traffic and conversions:

• AI-generated product recommendations show a conversion rate 4.4 times higher than traditional search (McKinsey).
• Shoppers coming from AI services are 38% more likely to purchase compared with traditional channels.
• Industry data show AI-assisted orders growing exponentially year on year, with conversion rates up to double those of other channels.

How Online Visibility Is Changing

Agentic commerce redefines the very concept of visibility. If an agent is choosing the product, it is no longer just about ranking on traditional search engines, but about being “readable” and recommendable by AI agents. This introduces new disciplines:

• Structured, high-quality product data: agents choose based on clear, complete and machine-readable information.
• Optimisation for AI engines: beyond classic SEO, optimising to be cited by AI assistants is an emerging discipline.
• Reviews and trust signals: agents weigh reputation and reliability in their decisions.
• Integration via open protocols: exposing catalogues and prices in a way that is accessible to agents becomes crucial.

AI Agents in the Service of Retailers

Agentic commerce is not only about consumer agents: retailers too are deploying their own AI agents to compete.

Personalisation at Scale

Agents offer every customer tailored recommendations and journeys, enabling hyper-personalisation previously reserved for premium segments.

Assistance and Customer Care

Conversational agents handle requests, returns and support 24/7, improving the customer experience and reducing service costs.

Pricing and Catalogue Management

Agents optimise prices in real time, manage availability and update product content autonomously.

How to Prepare for Agentic Commerce

• Invest in product data quality: structured, complete and up-to-date information is the foundation for being chosen by agents.
• Invest in experience quality: reviews, reliability and service become decisive factors.
• Adopt AI agents on the retailer side for personalisation and customer assistance.
• Monitor traffic from AI sources: it is growing rapidly and requires dedicated strategies.
• Prepare technical integration to expose catalogues and transactions to agents via open protocols.

Conclusion

Agentic commerce represents the next great transformation in retail and e-commerce. With a potential of trillions of dollars, conversions up to 4.4 times higher and 73% of consumers already involved, AI agents are reshaping the way people discover and buy products. The companies that prepare today — investing in data, experience and integration — will be the ones riding the wave; those that wait risk invisibility in the commerce of tomorrow. If you want to prepare your business for the era of agentic commerce, contact us for a strategic consultation on e-commerce and automation.