I recently wrote an article titled “How Agentic AI in E-Commerce May Transform the Brand-Customer Relationship” for Total Retail, where I explored how autonomous AI shopping agents could reshape the way brands and customers interact. Below are some of the key questions and takeaways I discussed.
What Agentic AI Means for ECommerce Brands
Agentic AI is shifting the role of the “customer” from humans to autonomous shopping agents. That change raises big questions about how brands should adapt.
How can e-commerce brands optimize product data for AI agents?
If an AI agent is the one “shopping,” are brands really optimizing for human eyes or for machine readability? What happens if your product catalog isn’t agent-friendly?Can brands still build customer loyalty if AI agents make the purchases?
Can brands still build loyalty when the actual “customer” making purchase decisions is an AI agent with no emotions? Will storytelling and human touchpoints even matter in this new dynamic?How will agentic AI change ecommerce pricing strategies?
If agents are programmed to automatically buy the lowest-priced option that meets user criteria, what room is left for premium positioning or differentiation? Could price wars become the new normal?
Key Questions About the Future of Brand-Customer Relationships
As agentic AI matures, the traditional marketing playbook may no longer apply. Here are some of the uncertainties brands should be asking now.
What fraud risks come with autonomous AI shopping agents?
What new vulnerabilities emerge when autonomous agents handle transactions? Could fraudsters exploit agent logic in ways humans wouldn’t fall for?Will marketing tactics like retargeting still work in an AI-driven future?
If agents don’t browse, get distracted, or abandon carts, what happens to tactics like retargeting and promotional emails? Do we need to reinvent the entire playbook for digital marketing?