Agentic commerce
Agentic commerce describes shopping in which AI agents search, compare and buy products on behalf of consumers, from product discovery to checkout and beyond.
Definition
Agentic commerce describes shopping in which AI agents act on behalf of consumers. Instead of browsing an online shop, a consumer tells an AI assistant what they need, and the agent searches, compares and, depending on the setup, completes the purchase. For retailers, this means the first visitor in the buying journey is increasingly software rather than a person.
How agentic commerce works
- Discovery: the agent searches products across retailers and marketplaces.
- Evaluation: it compares price, availability and delivery options.
- Checkout: it places the order via an open protocol or the retailer’s interface.
- Post-purchase: it tracks the order and handles returns.
Agentic commerce and fulfillment
Most discussion around agentic commerce focuses on discovery and checkout. But an agent can only recommend a retailer if the retailer's data is reliable: real-time availability per location, accurate delivery dates and order status that can be queried at any time. An agent that buys an item shown as available, only for the order to be canceled later, learns to avoid that retailer. This makes the Order Management System (OMS) a critical part of being ready for agentic commerce.
How to prepare for agentic commerce
- Real-time inventory across every location, so agents see accurate availability.
- Reliable delivery promises at checkout.
- Machine-readable interfaces that give agents access to order and fulfillment data.
- An Agentic Order Management System that resolves issues before the consumer, or their agent, notices.