Observed Signal · Sep 10, 2026 · Study Release · Source: Retail-News · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
E-Commerce / AI Market: 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.
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.
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