Retailers Must Adapt to AI Shopping Agents as Customers

Shopping agents are growing in popularity among customers (Image: Nichcha).

Agentic AI is rapidly transforming the retail landscape, with shopping bots and assistants increasingly handling tasks like searching, selecting, and purchasing items on behalf of consumers. According to a recent Walmart survey, 54% of respondents agree that digital shopping agents save time, while 27% prefer AI suggestions over those from social media influencers—a sign of shifting consumer preferences.

Key Trends and Adaptations for Retailers

1. Curate Product Assortments for AI-Driven Searches

Agentic AI allows consumers to make natural language requests (e.g., "Find me everything for a beach vacation"). Retailers must create curated assortments that span multiple categories, leveraging AI to streamline the process. For example, a single query might return bathing suits, sunscreen, beach towels, and light fiction.

2. Optimize Visual Search Capabilities

With visual search, customers can upload images to find matching or similar products. Retailers need robust visual asset libraries and proper cataloging to ensure products appear in AI-driven searches. This turns the world into a showroom, enabling inspiration-based shopping.

3. Leverage Customer Insights

Retailers must analyze individual and aggregate customer behavior to stay ahead of trends. Tools like the InMoment Xi platform used by La-Z-Boy help track signals from websites, call centers, and social media to inform strategy.

"The time to adapt your e-commerce strategy to agentic AI is now," the article emphasizes. As AI gains traction, retailers who embrace these changes will stay competitive in an evolving digital marketplace.