Retail is entering one of the most profound transitions since the birth of e-commerce. What began with online catalogues, search bars, and shopping carts is evolving into an era where AI agents shop, compare, negotiate, and transact on behalf of consumers. This shift – often referred to as agentic commerce – will fundamentally change how brands are discovered, how loyalty is built, and how purchases are made.
And unlike earlier waves of disruption, this one is propelled not by better interfaces, but by autonomous intelligence.
For nearly two decades, digital shopping has relied on one behaviour: the consumer searches, the platform displays options, and the buyer decides. Agentic commerce breaks this pattern.
In the new model, consumers express intent, and AI agents take over the heavy lifting:
Imagine telling your device: “Book me the healthiest dog food under ₹1,000 with no artificial preservatives.”
Within seconds, your AI agent scans multiple marketplaces, checks ingredient lists, compares seller ratings, verifies stock availability, and completes the order – all while you continue your day.
This is not science fiction. Global players already offer early versions of this. India’s recent trials of agentic payments via UPI show how near the future is.
Unlike traditional shopping journeys, agentic commerce:
The consumer remains in control, but the decision engine shifts to AI.
This creates both risks and opportunities for retailers.
AI agents will choose products based on structured data, not solely on advertising. That means retailers must ensure:
If a brand does not optimise for AI interpretation, it risks becoming invisible.
This is the new equivalent of SEO – but the audience isn’t the consumer; it’s their AI agent.
Historically, retailers relied on:
But when AI agents shop across platforms, these data sources weaken. Instead, retailers must build:
Trust will be shaped less by sleek apps and more by transparent information that AI can validate.
India’s consumer ecosystem is exceptionally suited for agentic commerce:
We already see hints of autonomous commerce:
With India’s retail market expected to reach USD 2 trillion this decade, the shift to AI-mediated shopping will accelerate faster here than in most regions.
To stay relevant, companies must adapt in five key ways:
Structured data, accurate metadata, and well-organised catalogues will be mandatory.
AI agents will query merchants directly. Outdated systems will fall behind.
Retailers must define how AI agents should interpret their brand values, quality standards, and product hierarchy.
AI agents will heavily weight:
Make these signals easy to parse.
Loyalty will come not just from consumers but also from AI agents that repeatedly recommend brands. That means:
Consumers will still decide what they want. But AI agents will handle:
Consumers shift from managing dozens of micro-decisions to simply expressing their intent. Retailers change from trying to attract “eyeballs” to earning the trust of intelligent systems.
This is a new relationship between humans, AI, and commerce – one where convenience is automated, trust is quantified, and choices are filtered through intelligent intermediaries.
The winners in the era of agentic commerce will be brands that:
Just as mobile commerce disrupted the desktop era, agentic commerce will disrupt today’s digital playbook. Retailers who adapt will thrive. Those who don’t may discover that the consumer still wants their product, but the AI agent does not.
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