Observed Signal · Sep 10, 2026 · Study Release · Source: Retail-News · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
EHI Study: Agentic Commerce Becomes Strategic Retail Priority
According to an EHI study commissioned by Softserve, agentic commerce is evolving into a strategic topic for the retail sector. The study reveals that approximately 60% of retail companies are engaging with AI systems that autonomously execute or control purchasing or trading processes. Over 11% already use concrete applications, while 40% currently see no use case in their own business. Key challenges include data quality and a lack of skilled personnel, with only 39.2% rating their data as good and only about 20% feeling adequately staffed. Investments are expected to increase significantly over the next five to ten years. The study also highlights that online retail is expected to be most affected, with 85.8% of participants anticipating a strong impact within five years.
The study highlights the growing strategic importance of agentic commerce in retail, indicating a shift towards autonomous AI systems in commerce, relevant for AdTech and retail media.
Track SoftServe Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your Polaris7 workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Around 60% of retail companies are dealing with AI systems for autonomous commerce processes.
- Over 11% of companies already use concrete agentic commerce applications.
- 40% of surveyed companies see no current use of agentic commerce in their business.
- Nearly 70% of companies cite conversion increase and personalization as top goals for using own agents.
- 39.2% of companies rate their data base as good to very good, while 37.4% are rather critical.
- Only 26.6% of companies consider short-term investments in agentic commerce likely.
- Within five years, nearly two-thirds of respondents expect to invest in agentic commerce.
- More than 90% of participants believe agentic commerce will sustainably change retail within ten years.
- 85.8% of respondents expect a strong impact on online retail within five years.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“According to a current EHI study commissioned by Softserve, around six in ten retail companies are dealing with AI systems...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Agentic Storefronts Drive Conversational, AI-Led Commerce
A sponsored State of the Industry report by Glossy and Swap finds brands, retailers and agencies are rapidly adopting "agentic" commerce—AI agents and agentic storefronts that guide shoppers from discovery to purchase. The survey of 80 industry respondents reports high AI adoption (90%), substantial experimentation with agentic storefronts (70% experimenting, 40% actively deploying), and a mix of internal and third‑party implementations. Respondents cite data requirements, ROI measurement and cost as leading challenges, while early results (higher conversions, longer time on site, reduced returns) suggest meaningful business impact. The article references multiple industry estimates projecting large market opportunity for agentic AI through 2030.
Agentic Commerce Users Could Reach 1.3 Billion by 2031
Juniper Research forecasts that agentic commerce users could grow from under 300 million in 2026 to about 1.3 billion by 2031, a near 350% rise. The report also projects agentic commerce transaction value will increase from roughly $8 billion in 2026 to $3.5 trillion by 2031. Juniper attributes the growth to retailer support, expanding agentic payment infrastructure and rising consumer comfort with AI, while noting current user familiarity and trust remain low. Separate research from Checkout.com found 24% of consumers say they will never delegate purchases to AI and 27% trust no organisation to operate an AI shopping agent. The article highlights payments as a structural concern — cards lead today but tokenisation and local-payment support will be important — and notes recent industry moves including OpenAI’s pullback from in‑app purchasing and Google’s new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) features.
Agentic Commerce Needs Context: Intelligence Layer Essential
The article argues that AI-powered commerce agents are transforming shopping from click-driven journeys to dialogic, agent-led decision processes. Successful 'agentic commerce' requires a shared context and intelligence layer that unifies marketing, commerce, service and operational data so multiple agents can share state and make coordinated decisions. The piece predicts the First Click will lose importance as agents prioritize intent and situation; it identifies Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) as an emerging marketing discipline focused on making content understandable to agents; and it highlights agent-to-agent commerce shifting gatekeeping power toward agents and platforms. Retailers like Amazon and Walmart are cited as following different integration strategies, and omnichannel data (including store-level signals and loyalty status) is flagged as a competitive advantage. The article stresses humans remain part of decisions and that merchants must invest in data, CX and post-purchase trust to succeed.
Receive all future signals for SoftServe & competitors in your briefing
Never miss material M&A deals, leadership changes, account wins, or product rollouts. Polaris7 monitors 20,000+ primary sources 24/7, delivering verified telemetry directly into your executive briefing.