Observed Signal · Sep 23, 2026 · Conference Recap · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
AI Reshapes Commerce Checkout, but Relevance Remains Crucial
At The Drum Live, the 'To Buy or Not to Buy?' session debated the rise of commerce media and AI's role in the purchase journey. A cited WPP forecast claims commerce media surpassed TV in global ad spend in 2025. Panelists were skeptical that AI bots would own the transaction moment, emphasizing trust and relevance. Notably, The Telegraph reported a 21% increase in subscriptions at the same cost-per-acquisition through its partnership with Rokt, highlighting the effectiveness of targeted offers at the moment of purchase. The session underscored that while AI changes discovery, the final decision still hinges on human-centric factors.
The article provides industry insights on commerce media growth and AI's role, but it is a conference recap rather than a breaking news event.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Commerce media accounted for 15.6% of global ad spend in 2025, surpassing TV's 14.6%.
- The Telegraph increased subscriptions by 21% while maintaining cost-per-acquisition via Rokt.
- Panelists rejected the claim that AI bots will own the last-mile transaction moment.
- AI-driven e-commerce spending is projected to reach $20.9bn in 2026.
- A panelist cited a TikTok Shop experience where unknown shipping caused trust loss at checkout.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mapped“Head of performance marketing Nicki Droy discussed using AI to tailor subscription offers and reported a 21% increase in subscriptions throu...”
“Marc Allsop, head of EMEA at Rokt, argued for the value of the transaction moment and was involved in the partnership with The Telegraph....”
“The WPP Media forecast was cited as the source for commerce media's ad spend surpassing TV....”
“Nicki Droy described a TikTok Shop purchase experience where an unknown shipping company eroded trust at checkout....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
AI Alters Discovery, Retail Media Strategies Evolve
Industry leaders at an ADWEEK House Cannes Lions panel co-hosted with Mirakl Ads discussed how AI 'answer engines' are changing discovery and where retail media fits in the marketing funnel. Panelists argued retail media remains valuable because it meets shoppers at point-of-purchase, but marketers must integrate retail media with search, social and emerging AI channels. Speakers highlighted expanded definitions of retail media and commerce media, the rise of non‑endemic brand buys, and experiential in-store activations (e.g., Best Buy’s 'stores within a store' for Meta Glasses). Lowe’s described using partner data to inform assortment and inspiration-to-action experiences, while brands like Unleashed invest in agency partnerships and training to adapt to faster AI adoption in search. The conversation framed retail media as an evolving journey that must be coordinated across multiple discovery touchpoints.
Criteo Report: AI Aids Shopping but Stops Before Checkout
Criteo's "2026 Commerce & AI Trend Report," based on a January–February 2026 consumer survey of 6,379 people across the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan and South Korea, finds AI increasingly central to product discovery but rarely completing purchases. Marketplaces (36%) and search engines (28%) remain the dominant search entry points; AI assistants account for 14% as a complementary channel. Consumers use AI mainly for research and comparison—nearly half use AI tools for product comparisons while only 8% report buying through those tools. Visual (44%) and voice (26%) search are rising, and respondents prioritize a mix of personalization and unexpected discovery. Trust factors—privacy (46%) and protection against manipulated content (52%)—and strong brand recognition (75%) remain decisive for completing purchases.
Testing Essential as Agentic Commerce Emerges
Circana executives Cara Pratt and Lindsay Pullins tell The Drum that as AI reshapes product discovery and purchasing, brands must rapidly experiment and prepare for an era of 'agentic' commerce where algorithms — and AI agents — influence or make buying decisions. They argue brands need clear product data, accurate taxonomies, trusted reviews and consistent brand signals so AI recommends their products correctly. Success requires combining strong data foundations with speed, precision and continuous feedback loops. The conversation also frames retail media not just as an advertising channel but as a connected ecosystem of retailers, publishers, brands and AI platforms sharing richer signals.
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