Introduction
Imagine pitching your product not to a person, but to an AI assistant that knows their budget, preferences, and purchase history. While it may sound futuristic, this scenario is already materialising. AI agents are increasingly acting on behalf of consumers—and brands need to prepare.
1) What is Agentic Commerce?
“Agentic commerce” refers to AI systems that proactively detect consumer intent, compare options, and execute purchases. McKinsey & Company+1
These agents are altering the roles of brand, retailer, and consumer. In this model:
- Consumers delegate decisions to agents.
- Agents feed from data, preferences and structured signals.
- Brands must be visible not just to a shopper—but to the agent selecting the product.
2) Why It’s Happening Now
- AI adoption is rising: more consumers expect to use agents for shopping. Digital Commerce 360
- Search and discovery are changing: bots, assistants and algorithms replace traditional browsing. Mizuho Financial Group
- Brands and platforms must adapt from human-first marketing to algorithm-first readiness. BCG Global
3) Implications for Brands
- Product discoverability becomes “agent discoverability”: your product must be legible to AI agents, with structured data, clear features, and quality reviews. Artefact
- Brand loyalty is redefined: trust and familiarity still matter—but now they must be encoded in data agents rely on.
- New metrics emerge: instead of just consumer sessions and clicks, brands must monitor how often they appear in agent-driven selections.
- Commoditisation risk increases: if AI agents treat your product as equivalent to a cheaper and similar option, brand premium erodes. Mizuho Financial Group
4) 30/60/90-Day Action Plan
Days 1–30:
- Audit your data: ensure product specs, features, reviews and metadata are structured and agent-friendly.
- Map current customer journey vs. anticipated agent journey.
Days 31–60:
- Optimize for agent lexicon: include synonyms, benefit-language and structured attributes agents prioritise.
- Run tests: simulate queries an agent might ask and see if your product appears.
Days 61–90:
- Monitor and adjust: track agent-driven outcomes, compare to human-driven.
- Develop agent-engagement strategy: partnerships, data feeds, trusted signals.
Final Thoughts
The future of shopping isn’t just about human behaviour—it’s about the software shaping decisions. If you treat human consumers as your only target, you risk missing the new gatekeepers: AI agents. Brands that optimise for the agent-first era will not just survive—they’ll lead.