Summary of "On-Demand Webinar - Agentic Commerce Now"

Summary: On-Demand Webinar - Agentic Commerce Now

Overview

The webinar explores the emerging paradigm of Agentic Commerce, where AI agents (robots) increasingly manage product discovery, selection, and purchase on behalf of consumers. This represents a transformative shift in retail and e-commerce, driven by AI technologies like ChatGPT and integrated instant checkout systems.

Key Business Themes & Frameworks

Agentic Commerce Definition AI-powered agents assist or fully manage shopping journeys, reducing friction and transforming how consumers discover, evaluate, and buy products.
Evolution of Commerce Channels
- Traditional in-store discovery → Digital search (Google) → Social commerce (TikTok Shop) → Agentic commerce (AI assistants like ChatGPT)
- Agents will operate both online and in-store (augmented reality experiences)
Consumer Shopping Missions Framework
- X-axis: Needs (necessities) → Wants (aspirational/fun)
- Y-axis: Low consideration (low price) → High consideration (high price) AI agents serve different roles across these quadrants, from auto-replenishment of staples to complex high-consideration purchases.
Agentic Commerce Management A new discipline combining:
- Product catalog optimization (metadata, attributes, use cases)
- Cross-channel visibility and citations (GEO - Google Equivalent Optimization)
- Managing product recommendations and “winning” product cards (the new buy box)
- Trust signals (reviews, certifications, stock availability) prioritized over branding alone
- Merchant of record strategy and fulfillment optimization
Retail Media Networks Impact
- Shift from influencing human shoppers to influencing AI agents’ recommendation behaviors
- New creative formats focused on structured product data
- Attribution and measurement complexity increases as agents mediate purchases
- Retail media must evolve to target agents, not just consumers

Key Metrics, KPIs, and Market Data

ChatGPT as an E-commerce Platform
- 2.1% of all ChatGPT prompts relate to product purchase inquiries
- Estimated 52.5 million purchase-related prompts daily worldwide
- ChatGPT ranks as the 9th highest traffic e-commerce site globally, 11th in the US, surpassing major retailers like Home Depot and Best Buy in traffic volume
- $6.88 billion annual snack-related purchase prompts in the US alone
Conversion & Friction Metrics
- Traditional e-commerce reduced purchase flows from 22 clicks to 4 clicks; agentic commerce aims for a zero-click purchase experience
- Agents optimize entire shopping missions, not just single product purchases, reducing decision fatigue and shopper time/patience budgets
Visibility & Performance Tracking Tools (Profit Hero Plus)
- Tracks AI visibility across multiple agents and answer engines
- Monitors prompt-level share of voice and competitor comparison
- Measures impact on product page performance metrics (page 1 sales, glance views)
- Provides AI-driven content and catalog optimization recommendations with automated publishing workflows

Actionable Recommendations & Case Examples

For Brands and Retailers
- Optimize product catalogs: Complete and enrich metadata, use case descriptions, and attributes to align with AI agent requirements
- Ensure cross-channel consistency: Align data and pricing across all retail and social platforms, including direct-to-consumer (DTC), marketplaces, and retail media
- Develop “agent-readable” content: Content must inspire both human shoppers and AI agents, supporting recommendation algorithms
- Reconsider merchant of record and fulfillment strategies: Agents assign shopping trips based on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, shifting value across retail channels
- Test and learn: Pilot agentic commerce strategies with early adopter retailers and platforms
- Evaluate your brand’s presence on AI answer engines: Regularly audit how your products show up, which SKUs are recommended, and address gaps in visibility or trust signals
Case Study – Birthday Party Planning Candy Arington shared a personal example where AI agents curated a full shopping list for a 16th birthday party, recommending local and online retailers, optimizing for convenience, price, and relevance. This illustrates the shift from shopper-driven to agent-driven trip planning.
Product Card as the New Buy Box Winning the product card on AI-driven platforms is critical; it requires optimized catalogs and trust signals. Brands must actively manage this to avoid losing sales.

Strategic Insights

Agentic Commerce is Live Today This is not a future trend but a current reality; early adopters will gain disproportionate advantages.
Not Just SEO → GEO Google Equivalent Optimization (GEO) is necessary but insufficient. Brands must manage both visibility (citations, brand story) and product recommendation readiness (catalog data, trust signals).
Disruption Potential Agentic commerce may disrupt both utility and emotional shopping, and even change the “shopper persona” from humans to AI devices embedded in everyday life.
Retail Media Evolution Retail media networks must pivot to influence AI agents, requiring new attribution models and creative strategies.
Advertising on AI Platforms National AI answer engines currently avoid ads to maintain trust; monetization may come later or through integrated retail media channels.

Presenters / Sources

Peter Breen – Publicist Commerce Marketing Team (Moderator)
Jason Goldberg – Chief Commerce Strategy Officer
Candy Arington – GM and EVP, Retail Consultancy
Julia Miller – Group VP, Commerce Media
Mike Black – Chief Growth Officer

Summary

Agentic Commerce represents a fundamental shift in retail and e-commerce, where AI agents mediate product discovery and purchasing, reducing shopper friction and reshaping value distribution across brands and retailers. Success requires new frameworks for catalog optimization, cross-channel data management, and proactive engagement with AI-driven platforms. Early investment and experimentation in agentic commerce management, including leveraging emerging tools like Profit Hero Plus, will position brands and retailers to thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape.