Retailers building agentic infrastructure now are not preparing for the future. Edge computing processes data at shelf and checkout level, triggering restocking and personalized offers without routing requests to a central system. For retail specifically, pricing changes above a defined margin threshold, promotions affecting category-level commitments, and supplier decisions above a contract value should always route to human review.

However, these technologies are most effective when paired with human expertise. While agents excel at efficiency and personalization, they can’t replicate the emotional connection that comes from human interaction. Loyal customers make repeat purchases, even during tough economic times. We complement our tailored, integrated expertise with a vibrant ecosystem of digital innovators to deliver better, faster, and more enduring outcomes. This is the moment to strengthen customer relationships, build trust, and make retailer-value obvious —to humans and to algorithms alike.” Among unique shoppers, 52% of Millennials and 25% of Gen Z say they will use an AI assistant to start holiday shopping.

Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) — owner of more than 50 iconic brands including Juicy Couture, Reebok and SHAQ — is seizing this opportunity through its newly launched “Authentic Intelligence” platform. From department stores to leading luxury houses, some of the world’s most iconic brands are using Google Cloud to create fresh takes on retail experiences that reflect how consumers shop today and how they want to shop in the future. Leading retailers and CPG brands are moving beyond debating AI’s possibilities and are now using AI agents to drive measurable business value—from delivering concierge-like customer experiences to running grounded agentic workflows. This week at the annual National Retail Federation (NRF) conference, we are sharing exciting updates about what we’re doing to push the boundaries of what’s possible for retail and how it’s already driving real impact. We’re one of the first places shoppers go to discover new brands and products, and people shop across Google more than a billion times a day. We support companies with market prioritisation, entry strategy, customer and partner identification, and building traction in new or existing markets.

Unlock retail growth with a new open standard

The AI agent can identify specific items within complex images, suggest alternatives, and connect users with purchasing options. Pinterest Lens processes over 600 million visual searches monthly, helping users discover products from their camera roll or Pinterest boards. The system analyzes social media trends, fashion forecasts, and regional preferences to predict which items will succeed in specific markets.

Empower teams with visibility and control.

Smarter recommendations, refined segments, automated journeys, content creation, and performance insights come together in one connected workflow. Today it’s just discovery but eventually it will go all the way to making the purchase for you.” The way this is going to impact e-commerce is not entirely clear right now. Part of the Mirakl Nexus solution is creating the product availability to feed not only external AI agents but also retailers’ own branded AI agents. “Some of our customers are beginning to build their own AI agents on their own web sites,” said Eckert, referring to Lowe’s, which has launched something called MyLow, an AI search agent.

In our latest protocol announcement, Google Cloud has developed an open protocol with leading payments and technology companies to securely initiate and transact agent-led payments across platforms. CIOs who build enterprise data platforms with the right architecture, operating model, and sequencing for AI workloads will have a lasting competitive edge. Stripe is a technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet. A third option for retailers is to provide limited exposure to third-party agents while investing in initiatives to maintain and even build brand loyalty.

• Most existing AI tools function as high-powered assistants that deliver insights but require human intervention for action.
• Edge computing processes data at shelf and checkout level, triggering restocking and personalized offers without routing requests to a central system.
• But the fact is that the root cause isn’t even technology – it’s decision velocity.
• Agentic intelligence makes insights easy to understand, so teams can move faster and stay focused on what matters.
• By powering next-generation AI agents to perform a wider array of tasks, agentic AI vastly expands what can be automated.
• Agents may negotiate pricing, assemble multi-brand carts, and drive faster decision cycles.

Building agentic commerce with Google Cloud

It identifies non-obvious relationships between products that traditional analysis would miss, and provides specific, actionable planogram recommendations based on current conditions. And at this point of time most leaders might incline towards ‘we need to update our technology for better decision-making’ pitch. The marketplace strategy undercuts direct-to-consumer margins.

ACP allows retailers to link current systems without rebuilding infrastructure, helping them stay compatible with AI shopping agents. Most retailers are linking existing order and payment systems rather than rebuilding them. The purchase process becomes faster, more direct, and based on trust and transparency rather than promotional content.

It is not only the world but the technology that drives our everyday life is also progressing continuously. Discover what Agentic Dashboards are, how they work, and the tools leading agentic analytics in 2026. Yes, cloud-based AI platforms now offer affordable solutions for small retailers. The retail industry stands at an inflection point where businesses that embrace these technologies will gain significant competitive advantages over those that don’t. Success requires cross-functional collaboration between IT, operations, marketing, and customer service teams. Consider partnering with experienced AI vendors who understand retail-specific challenges.

Customers are increasingly using AI as a starting point, as 17% of unique online shoppers say they will begin their https://gleecus.com/blogs/generative-ai-retail-customer-experience-future/ holiday shopping with an AI platform such as ChatGPT or Perplexity, and 30% plan to start with Google search, which is now also AI-enabled. It handles repetitive or data-heavy tasks so people can focus on creativity and strategy. Then it’s time to put agentic AI to work. Just start where it hurts the most. Retailers leading the pack have turned AI into a core part of their strategy.

Key Use Cases of Agentic AI in Retail

This level of personalization was previously achievable only for high-value customer segments. Consumers are starting shopping journeys with AI agents rather than search engines or retailer websites. Supply chain agents monitor supplier performance, logistics conditions, and fulfillment capacity continuously, routing orders to the optimal location, rerouting shipments when delays are detected, and flagging supplier risk before it becomes a stockout. They surface ranked actions tied to sales, profit, and working capital impact, and in advanced deployments execute those actions https://caritasehed.org/category/company/business-today directly in connected systems. Retailers deploying multi-agent inventory systems consistently report faster execution cycles and fewer planning errors compared to manual workflows, with efficiency gains compounding as agents accumulate operating experience.

Begin by assessing your current data infrastructure and identifying high-impact use cases. Our enterprise AI platform provides pre-built agentic workflows specifically designed for retail operations. Start with pilot projects in areas like inventory management or customer service where success can be measured quantitatively. Implementing agentic AI in retail begins with identifying specific business challenges where autonomous decision-making can provide immediate value. These democratized tools will allow any retailer to implement sophisticated AI capabilities without technical expertise or massive budgets.