For 20 years, search has pushed ecommerce. Whether or not by means of Google, Amazon, or on‑website, the sequence was easy: a client sorts a question, compares outcomes, and makes a purchase order. Search engine advertising, natural and paid, enhanced efficiency.
That mannequin is evolving.
Generative AI “brokers” can now assist consumers examine merchandise, costs, and choices, typically in a single conversational step. Consumers provoke the interactions; brokers then search related websites and reply based mostly on the question, previous preferences, and buy historical past.
What Is Agentic Buying?
“Agentic” refers to autonomous methods that may independently act and determine. Agentic purchasing makes use of AI brokers — ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude — to information the shopping for journey for a person. Consider it as a private purchasing assistant that interprets a request, searches a number of retailers, and surfaces related product and worth choices.
Retailgentic, the Substack publication of ReFiBuy, a soon-to-launch agentic device supplier, not too long ago revealed its take a look at of Comet, Perplexity’s AI-driven browser:
Shopper: This mattress set is fairly costly, however I prefer it. Can you discover it cheaper?
Comet: I looked for a greater worth on the Allied House Down Various XLT Dorm Equipment (comforter, pillow, and mattress pad, Twin XL) and it’s nonetheless listed at $84.99 at Goal — the usual worth for this precise bundled set. I didn’t discover this particular 3‑piece package for much less elsewhere.
Nonetheless, different retail websites (like Kohl’s and Macy’s) supply Twin XL bedding items or comforter units individually.
As an alternative of hopping from website to website, the patron will get a solution in a single dialog.
Why It Issues
Consumers are warming to AI purchasing, although inconsistently by age. A February 2025 New Client survey (PDF) of roughly 3,000 U.S. residents discovered that 64% of Gen Zs (ages late 20s to early 40s) and Millennials (mid-teens to late 20s) are “very” or “considerably” snug interacting with an AI purchasing advisor, versus 40% for Gen Xs (mid 40s to early 60s).
AI platforms are capitalizing:
- ChatGPT now embeds Store Pay, Shopify’s hosted checkout and cost device. Consumers can uncover, consider, and buy items from Shopify-powered retailers with out leaving the chat, turning conversational AI right into a gross sales channel.
- Perplexity’s agent‑led checkout, in partnership with PayPal, allows purchases, journey bookings, and occasion ticket gross sales straight in chat.
- Structured product feeds in Perplexity can ingest clear, up‑to‑date product information, akin to from magnificence model Ulta (powered by Rithum, my employer), for correct pricing, attributes, and actual‑time suggestions.
Subsequent Steps
There’s no definitive AI playbook, however retailers can nonetheless put together.
Audit product information
Common requirements for AI product feeds don’t (but) exist, however you’re doubtless in fine condition when you already preserve a product feed, akin to for Google Buying. Be sure it consists of all key attributes: dimension, coloration, materials, weight, and use circumstances.
Monitor AI visibility
Take a look at how your merchandise seem in genAI platforms. Manufacturers and producers can immediate their title to see the way it surfaces. Even higher, attempt prompts that consumers would possibly use. See how AI ranks or references your merchandise in contrast with opponents. For instance, “Discover me the perfect backpack that matches two days of garments and matches underneath an airplane seat” or “Listing the highest-rated cordless drills from DeWalt underneath $200.”
A number of Channels
Widespread use of AI purchasing is way from sure.
Adoption varies. Youthful consumers are extra snug, older consumers much less so.
Accuracy is uneven. AI can present outdated costs, stock, and product particulars, as many are scraping product information, which is vulnerable to errors, as an alternative of utilizing product feeds. In ChatGPT, merchandise unrelated to a question generally seem as compared carousels.
AI purchasing brokers might change into an necessary income channel, however they’re not a alternative for direct buyer relationships, conventional search, or promoting. Make your product information AI‑prepared whereas persevering with to diversify your gross sales combine.
Spend money on a number of channels, buyer engagement, and constructing a model that may thrive no matter how consumers uncover merchandise.
