The Rise of 'Agentic Commerce'
A new business model dubbed "agentic commerce" is predicted to be a defining trend for 2026. The concept involves autonomous software agents acting on behalf of users and companies to conduct transactions and manage supply chains. This could fundamentally change how goods and services are bought and sold, prioritizing efficiency and personalization.
The term "agentic commerce" was first defined as an academic discipline by Paul F. Accornero in early 2025. It describes a market where AI agents, not humans, are the primary drivers of purchasing decisions, fundamentally breaking the long-held assumption in marketing that the buyer is human. This model separates the "consumer," who experiences the value of a product, from the "shopper," which is the AI agent executing the transaction. These AI agents evaluate products based on structured data and objective criteria, unaffected by brand colors, advertising, or loyalty. Major technology and payment companies are building the infrastructure for this shift. Visa is piloting transactions allowing AI agents to spend on behalf of users within preset budgets. Similarly, OpenAI and Stripe have co-developed an Agentic Commerce Protocol, and Google launched a Universal Commerce Protocol in January 2026. Projections show rapid growth, with the potential for agentic commerce to orchestrate up to $1 trillion in the U.S. B2C retail market by 2030. Early data already indicates that shoppers using AI assistants complete purchases 47% faster and are 68% less likely to return products. The transition is occurring in stages, moving from AI-assisted discovery to fully autonomous purchases. While many consumers still use agents primarily for research, 70% are reportedly comfortable with an agent making purchases on their behalf. This signals a move toward "zero-click commerce," where consumers may not even visit a retailer's website. For businesses, this necessitates a strategic shift toward "Answer Engine Optimization" (AEO). Success will depend on clean, machine-readable product data, competitive pricing, and accurate inventory, as AI agents become the new gatekeepers of commerce. The B2B sector is also poised for significant adoption, with predictions that 90% of B2B buying will be intermediated by AI agents by 2028. Already, 84% of B2B buyers using AI tools report faster research and decision-making processes.
