AI assistants are beginning to influence what consumers discover, compare and buy. As agentic commerce develops, retailers must make their products visible to AI without losing control of the customer relationship.

AI is becoming a new gateway to retail, changing where consumers discover products, compare options and, increasingly, make purchasing decisions.

Instead of moving between search engines, marketplaces and retailer websites, shoppers can describe what they want to an AI assistant and receive recommendations based on their needs, budget and preferences. In some cases, they can move from that conversation towards checkout without leaving the AI platform.

This is the emerging world of agentic commerce: AI systems that can understand a shopper's intent, research options, make recommendations and, with the customer's permission, take actions on their behalf.

Fully autonomous shopping remains at an early stage. But AI-mediated product discovery and comparison are already changing the route consumers can take towards a purchase.

McKinsey's 2026 research found that 38% of surveyed consumers in France, Germany and the UK were using AI to research products or inform purchase decisions. Comparing brands, models, prices and reviews was the most common activity, followed by product discovery and learning about categories.

For retailers, the significance is clear: AI is moving upstream in the customer journey. It is no longer simply a tool retailers can use to recommend products. It can increasingly become the interface between the shopper and the retailer.

AI is moving upstream in the customer journey

Online retail has traditionally been built around the assumption that consumers will navigate much of the shopping journey themselves.

A customer might begin with a search engine or social platform, visit several retailer and marketplace websites, compare products and reviews, and eventually decide where to buy. Retailers have invested heavily in search engine optimisation, paid search, marketplaces and social media to attract customers to their digital storefronts.

AI introduces another layer.

A shopper looking for noise-cancelling headphones under £200, for example, can ask an AI assistant to identify suitable products, explain the differences and recommend options based on their priorities.

OpenAI's shopping research feature illustrates the model. It allows users to describe what they are looking for and generates a personalised buyer's guide using information such as price, availability, reviews, specifications and images. Users can refine the results as the research progresses.