Retailers prepare for AI agents as digitally influenced sales exceed 60%
Retailers are adapting to AI agent-driven shopping as 2025 is named the year of the AI agent and digitally influenced sales already exceed 60% Apparel Group, operating over 85 brands, 2,500 stores and 14 markets, has rebuilt its operating model around AI to stay ahead
AI agents personalize product recommendations, auto-replenish inventory, and complete purchases without a human click. Retailers must decide how much of their catalog, pricing and inventory to expose to agents, choosing among fully closed, selective, hybrid or fully open approaches. Some retailers are building dedicated agent-facing infrastructure optimized for machine-readable data, while keeping certain products exclusive to their own sites. The linchpin for success is accurate, clean data, as fragmented data across channels hinders AI model training and optimization.
“AI shopping assistants are poised to embed artificial intelligence into the heart of shopping experiences, forever changing the retail landscape,” Jason Goldberg, chief commerce strategy officer at Publicis said.
Before the rise of AI agents, retail competition primarily occurred on physical shelves and digital screens. Industry reports noted that AI agents are shifting the battle to data feeds and API endpoints, making machine-readable, real-time product data critical for visibility. Earlier analyses highlighted that digitally influenced sales were already growing and would continue to expand as agents take on more shopping tasks.
What we know
A NRF article drawing on input from retail executives and subject matter experts named 2025 the year of the AI agent in retail.
The article says that digitally influenced sales already exceed 60% and that percentage will only grow as AI agents personalize recommendations, streamline decision-making, and handle auto replenishment tasks.
A World Economic Forum article from Apparel Group, a retailer with more than 85 brands, 2,500 stores and 14 markets, describes how the company rebuilt its operating model around AI rather than layering tools onto existing workflows.