Winning in the age of agentic commerce: How retailers can thrive in the AI-powered future
The playbook for winning in eCommerce is changing.
For years, the focus in eCommerce has been on optimizing websites for search engines, increasing product availability and creating seamless online experiences. But with the rapid rise of generative AI, a new era is dawning: the age of agentic commerce.
This new paradigm promises to fundamentally shift how consumers discover, research and purchase products, and retailers must adapt now to stay ahead.
In their latest report “Agentic Commerce is Redefining Retail — Here’s How to Respond” BCG outlines a clear strategy for retailers to thrive in a world where AI agents play an increasingly central role in the customer journey.
The key takeaway: Retailers need to proactively build a new strategy to thrive in a world where AI agents play an increasingly central role in the customer journey.
The rise of the agentic shopper
Agentic commerce is characterized by the use of AI agents that act on behalf of the customer, executing complex tasks from research to purchase.
These agents, which can be third-party platforms like ChatGPT or brand-owned agents, are already impacting shopping behavior.
"Sixty percent of shoppers already use AI in their shopping journey," says Anne-Claire Baschet, Chief Data and AI Officer at Mirakl, citing a recent Gartner prediction that 40% of enterprises will leverage AI agents by 2026. This isn't a distant future; it's a present reality.
In fact, a recent Adobe study on the impact of generative AI search platforms on traffic shows an incredible 4,700% year-over-year increase in traffic coming from AI search.
While conversion rates for this traffic are still lower than traditional search, they are quickly converging. This trend signals a major shift in how consumers are finding products.
"We are entering a commerce 3.0 experience," says Anne-Claire Baschet. "The fact that now a shopper can directly interact with an agent that can be an AI platform, or can be an owned agent on your channels … this is a major breakthrough."
The threat of agentic commerce disintermediation is real
As AI agents take on more of the discovery process, retailers face a significant threat of disintermediation.
The familiar model of driving traffic to a website through organic and paid search is becoming less effective.
Mike Evans, BCG X Managing Director & Partner, highlighted that generative AI is already eroding traditional search traffic, where nearly 10% of businesses have seen a decline in organic traffic this year compared to last.
"The playbook is changing," Evans warns. "You can't rely on the common set of strategies you have before, and you need a new playbook to play in this new world."
The new playbook must address a critical challenge: losing the direct customer relationship. When an AI agent handles the entire shopping journey, retailers lose valuable data about customer behavior and intent.
BCG’s article details the challenges: Retailers face a loss of direct traffic, reduced insight into customer behavior and weakened brand loyalty as agents compare products based on a narrow set of criteria like price, reviews and delivery speed. This also impacts the ability to cross-sell, as agents might break up a multi-item purchase across multiple retailers to find the best price on each individual product.
Furthermore, a significant portion of digital ad spend is expected to shift to these AI platforms.
According to the article, “by 2029, spending on AI search ads in the US will reach $26 billion, according to eMarketer, which is approximately 14% of total search ad spending.” This underscores the urgency for retailers to understand and engage with this new channel.
How to win in the new normal of agentic commerce
To thrive in the age of agentic commerce, retailers must take a proactive, three-pronged approach.
1. Build a robust strategy for third-party agents
Retailers need to prioritize their visibility and discoverability on third-party AI platforms. Evans emphasized the importance of a new discipline called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
This goes beyond traditional SEO and involves making sure your product content is structured in a way that AI agents can easily understand and use.
This includes:
Enriching product content: Go beyond simple descriptions. Provide detailed attributes, how-to guides and rich media.
Optimizing for reviews: AI agents are highly sensitive to product reviews. Positive reviews can significantly increase the chances of your product being recommended, even at a higher price point. As Anne-Claire Baschet pointed out, "They do a trade-off between price and reviews."
Focusing on data quality: Clean, well-structured product data is non-negotiable. Agents rely on this information to make accurate and relevant recommendations.
2. Leverage owned-agent experiences
While third-party agents are important, retailers also have a unique opportunity to build their own agent experiences that are deeply integrated with their brand.
These owned agents can offer a bespoke shopping experience that can't be replicated elsewhere.
A prime example is the virtual beauty assistant from L'Oréal, which offers personalized beauty routines based on a customer’s skin type and needs.
This kind of agent provides a highly personalized, unique experience while also capturing valuable customer data.
By offering a platform that supports a rich, diverse catalog and enables partners to create these unique agent experiences, you can provide an unparalleled level of service and curation.
3. Build your agentic foundations
Ultimately, success in this new era comes down to building the right foundations.
Retailers must move beyond a patchwork of disparate systems and technologies to a unified platform that can support the demands of AI agents.
This requires:
A strong AI and data platform: A centralized data hub is essential to feed information to all agents, both internal and external.
A scalable product catalog: The system needs to handle massive product assortments, ensuring agents can find the right products at the right time.
Robust operational and logistical capabilities: The ability to ensure timely shipping, manage returns and provide excellent after-sales support remains critical, as these are factors AI agents will consider when making recommendations.
A fundamental shift toward conversational discovery
In the report, Baschet provides her perspective on the magnitude of this change, emphasizing that businesses must prepare for an entirely new way of operating.
"We're on the cusp of the next major commerce shift,” says Baschet, “after web commerce and platform models prevailed.
"Agentic commerce won't be another channel to manage, but rather a fundamental shift toward high-context, conversational discovery. Success will derive from an 'agent-ready' commerce design, including impeccable product data, competitive pricing, accurate stock availability and seamless after-sales support."
Learn more about agentic commerce from Mirakl & BCG
The era of agentic commerce is here, and it's set to change the game.
By focusing on rich product content, leveraging both third-party and owned agents and building the right technical and operational foundations, retailers can not only survive but thrive in this new landscape.
To learn more about how to navigate this exciting new era and get the full insights, read the BCG report here.
