Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rewriting the rules of retail. Businesses are being forced to rethink how they meet customer needs as a quiet revolution unfolds – not through new apps or websites, but through AI-powered agents that shop on behalf of consumers. These autonomous assistants don’t just understand preferences, lifestyles, and budgets; they curate options, compare prices, and secure the best deals without a single click from the shopper. What was once hypothetical is now real: agentic commerce is here, and it’s beginning to redefine the future of retail.
AI shopping assistants might still be new, but Brits are already warming to the idea according to the findings in the recent survey. Almost one in three (31%) UK shoppers say they would be happy to have an agent browse on their behalf – and that jumps to nearly half (45%) among younger shoppers aged 18 to 34. Fast forward to 2030, and shoppers expect around 7% of their total online purchases to be made this way, meaning AI agents could be behind as much as £29 billion of online spending.
This shift marks a distinct change for the industry – one where decisions are no longer based on just what people decide they want for themselves, but what their digital agents decide is worth their attention. That small change will have an irreversibly huge impact, reshaping industries, business models, and consumer expectations.
The fundamentals of agentic commerce
At its core, agentic commerce is commerce where which AI-powered agents carry out the buying process for us. They understand our preferences, budgets, and priorities, and act accordingly. The ‘shopper’ becomes a combination of human intention and machine execution, giving people more time to focus on other things while the agent manages routine decisions.
Unlike ecommerce today, where humans drive most actions, agentic commerce allows people to delegate tasks, such as comparing hundreds of products or tracking price changes. It frees consumers from repetitive work while still reflecting their choices and values. The shift is not necessarily about giving up control but about choosing where to exercise it. Consumers can remain fully hands-on when they want to explore, browse, or indulge. At the same time, they can delegate low-value, repetitive decisions to their agents.
It also means that shopping can become more aligned with each person’s unique lifestyle. One person’s agent could be instructed to prioritise ethical sourcing, sustainability, or local businesses. Another person’s agent might focus on value for money or delivery speed. According to Worldpay’s research, more than six in ten Brits (61%) say they would want an AI assistant that helps balance price and quality, while 60% said they would rely on an AI agent to hunt down the lowest prices. Nearly half (43%) say they’d like their AI to tailor picks to their personal tastes – becoming their own digital personal shopper. In this way, the fundamentals of agentic commerce point to a future where shopping is even more personalised.
Reshaping consumer interactions
The first impact of agentic commerce will be felt in the consumer experience. Food shops can be delivered automatically, seasonal wardrobes updated, the cheapest train ticket can be secured without even having to search. This is convenient but the real shift goes deeper. Agents will curate choices, presenting only what aligns with a consumer’s needs and values. Instead of wading through endless search results, shoppers see a refined shortlist, reducing friction and increasing confidence.
Yet trust will define adoption. Consumers must believe agents act in their interest, and that decisions are transparent. Accuracy and reliability matter but so does clarity: people will want to know why an agent made a particular choice, and whether their data is being used responsibly. Building this trust will be as critical to adoption as the technology itself.
How merchants can adapt
Leading platforms and fintechs are already building agent capabilities, and merchants must adapt to win in this new model – not just appealing to people but to the systems acting on their behalf. This shift could level the playing field where visibility depends less on advertising budgets and more on the quality of information provided. In other words, being consistent, trustworthy, and responsive has never mattered more for merchants.
Preparation starts with structuring catalogue data for AI readability – clear specifications, consistent taxonomies, and aligning policies, pricing and loyalty strategies to agent-driven preferences. Done well, this fosters relationships built on trust rather than marketing spin, turning agentic commerce into an advantage, rather than a threat.
Merchants can also partner with payments providers who understand the complexity of autonomous transaction rails, to support them throughout this transformation of the payments landscape.
Building payment infrastructures for the agent era
If agents are to take on buying decisions, payments must evolve. Today’s systems are built for human interaction at checkout. In an agent-led model, transactions may be completed without a single click. This raises critical questions around authentication and fraud prevention.
Payment providers will need to ensure agents act with clear authorisation, giving consumers control through boundaries like spending limits or approval for certain categories. Fraud systems must learn to recognise legitimate agent behaviour rather than treating it as suspicious.
The opportunity is significant: agent-led payments could become faster, safer and more convenient than traditional methods. One example is Tokenisation, which could protect sensitive data, while intelligent authorisation could balance security with efficiency. Micro-payments and subscription models could flourish in this environment, supported by systems that allow agents to transact seamlessly in the background.
For both consumers and merchants, this means less friction and fewer abandoned baskets. For payment providers, it’s a chance to build the backbone of a new commerce era. If done well, agentic commerce could create a payment ecosystem that is safer, smarter, and more efficient than ever before.
Trust in an agentic future
Agentic commerce is already taking shape in the technologies we use every day, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Walmart’s Sparky. By shifting routine decisions to AI agents, it offers speed, convenience, and personalisation on a scale that traditional e-commerce cannot yet match.
As this model becomes mainstream, trust, transparency, and verification must be embedded from the start. Consumers and merchants alike need confidence in agent-driven transactions, supported by robust digital identity frameworks to distinguish legitimate agents from malicious ones. For retailers, success means making product data and systems agent-ready – competing not only for human attention but also for algorithmic selection.
