AI Agents Are Becoming the New Front Door to Shopping
Artificial intelligence is no longer sitting on the sidelines of retail. A new study shows that AI agents have already moved into the mainstream of how Americans shop, quietly rewriting the path from curiosity to checkout and forcing retailers to rethink how they reach customers.
According to CI&T’s Retail Tech Report: Agentic Commerce Edition, 74 percent of consumers have already used an AI agent when shopping. The survey of 1,011 respondents found that nearly nine in ten people have either tried these tools or say they are open to doing so. Among those who have not yet experimented, 63 percent remain receptive. The numbers mark a rapid shift from novelty to habit.
The findings go beyond simple adoption. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said AI makes them smarter shoppers, while 55 percent reported that it actually leads them to shop more. Consumers are primarily turning to agents for practical tasks: comparing brands (55 percent), hunting for the lowest price (55 percent), and locating where specific items can be purchased (49 percent). The categories seeing the fastest growth in AI-assisted shopping include electronics, personal care, and apparel and accessories.
The Shopping Journey Has Flipped
For years the classic consumer path followed a familiar sequence: discover something, research it, then buy. That order is reversing. Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy and Insights at CI&T, explained the change clearly. “Having tracked consumer shopping habits for nearly a decade, we’ve seen the traditional path to purchase evolve from ‘discover > research > buy’ to ‘research > discovery > buy,’ and the rapid adoption of AI agents aligns perfectly with this shift.”
In the new model, shoppers often begin with a question or a set of constraints rather than a product page. They ask an agent for the best wireless earbuds under a certain budget, the most durable hiking boots for wet conditions, or a comparison of protein powders with specific ingredients. The agent returns options, prices, reviews, and availability. Only then does the consumer move toward a particular retailer or brand. In many cases the AI becomes the first touchpoint, effectively acting as a digital mall that puts multiple brands and categories under one conversational roof.
This research-first approach does not eliminate retailer websites. Instead, it changes their role. Agents funnel high-intent traffic toward sites once shoppers have narrowed their choices. Minkow noted that agents “are not replacing retailers’ websites. They are increasingly becoming consumers’ first touchpoint.” Retailers that optimize product data so large language models can accurately surface their offerings stand to benefit. Those that lag risk becoming harder to find.
Real Shoppers, Real Use Cases
The shift is already visible in everyday behavior. One avid shopper described her routine to Inc.: “I use AI to plan what I’m shopping for. Price comparisons, review roundups, sometimes just asking if local places have something in stock. I definitely use it for research on potential purchases too.” Similar stories appear across surveys. Shoppers ask agents to summarize hundreds of reviews, flag potential red flags, track price drops, or generate gift ideas based on detailed personal criteria.
Supporting data from other research reinforces the trend. An earlier IAB study found that among people who already use AI for shopping, the technology ranks as the second most influential source of information—behind only search engines and ahead of retailer websites, apps, and even recommendations from friends and family. Nearly 90 percent of those users said AI helped them discover products they would not have found otherwise. Many reported that the tools made shopping feel more personal, enjoyable, and efficient.
Adobe has tracked a parallel explosion in traffic. Generative AI sources driving visits to U.S. retail websites have grown by thousands of percent year over year in recent periods, showing that AI is no longer a fringe channel. Deloitte’s 2025 Connected Consumer survey found that 53 percent of consumers were already experimenting with or regularly using generative AI, up sharply from 38 percent the year before. The trajectory points upward.
Retailers Race to Adapt
Major retailers have taken notice. Walmart introduced its Sparky chatbot to help customers locate products and receive recommendations inside its own ecosystem. Amazon continues expanding generative AI capabilities across Alexa and seller tools that automate inventory and operations. These moves reflect a broader recognition that AI agents can both assist customers and reduce friction in the buying process.
Yet the opportunity comes with challenges. Consumers still approach AI recommendations with caution. Many double-check suggestions against retailer sites, independent reviews, or other sources before committing to a purchase. Trust remains incomplete. Retailers must therefore treat agents as part of a wider omnichannel strategy rather than a complete replacement for branded experiences. Differentiation matters. Third-party agents can compare prices and features, but they cannot fully replicate a brand’s unique content, loyalty benefits, or in-store expertise.
Minkow advised retailers to improve discoverability within large language models while simultaneously strengthening experiences that external agents cannot easily copy. That dual approach—being findable by AI while offering something distinctive once the shopper arrives—appears to be the practical path forward.
Broader Implications for the Industry
The rise of agentic commerce carries consequences beyond individual transactions. When agents become the default starting point, product data quality, structured information, and transparent pricing grow more important. Brands that invest in clean, machine-readable catalogs and clear value propositions will surface more often in AI responses. Those that rely solely on traditional advertising or poorly organized product pages may see declining visibility.
Price sensitivity also intensifies. Because agents excel at rapid comparison, consumers can check multiple retailers in seconds. This pressure rewards efficiency and competitive pricing while punishing opacity. At the same time, the technology can expand the market. The finding that 55 percent of users shop more suggests AI lowers barriers to purchase by reducing research friction and increasing confidence.
For smaller retailers and independent sellers, the picture is mixed. Powerful agents can surface niche products that might otherwise remain buried, yet the same tools can funnel traffic toward the largest platforms with the most comprehensive data. Success will depend on how well smaller players feed accurate information into the systems that power these agents and how effectively they convert the traffic that arrives.
The data indicates this is not a temporary experiment. Adoption is already high, openness among non-users remains strong, and usage is concentrated in high-consideration categories where research has always mattered. As AI agents grow more capable—handling multi-step tasks, remembering preferences across sessions, and integrating with payment or delivery systems—their role as the starting point of many shopping journeys is likely to expand further.
Consumers appear to benefit in the form of better information, faster decisions, and occasional discoveries they would have missed. Retailers face a clearer mandate: treat AI agents as a critical new channel, optimize for visibility within them, and continue building distinctive experiences that keep customers coming back once the agent has done its job.
The traditional storefront, whether physical or digital, is not disappearing. It is simply no longer the only place where shopping begins. For a growing share of consumers, the conversation with an AI agent has become the new entrance to the marketplace. Retailers that recognize this shift early and adapt accordingly will be better positioned as the next phase of commerce takes shape.
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