Agentic commerce is the emerging model of e-commerce where autonomous AI agents — not human shoppers — research products, compare options, evaluate trade-offs, and execute purchases on behalf of consumers. Instead of a person scrolling through Amazon search results, an AI agent processes structured data, reviews, pricing signals, and brand trust indicators to make purchasing decisions at machine speed.
Morgan Stanley projects that AI agents could add $115 billion in U.S. e-commerce spending by 2030. Google Cloud describes this shift as the emergence of the "invisible shelf" — a product evaluation layer that exists entirely within AI systems, invisible to traditional analytics and optimization tools.
Why Agentic Commerce Matters for CPG Brands
For consumer packaged goods brands, agentic commerce fundamentally changes what "being found" means. Traditional e-commerce optimization focuses on what humans see: titles, images, A+ content, review stars. Agentic commerce adds a new layer: what AI agents see when they evaluate your product programmatically.
This includes:
- Structured product data — schema markup, ingredient lists, certifications, nutrition facts that agents can parse
- Brand entity signals — how well-established your brand is across the web (Knowledge Graph presence, Wikipedia entries, authoritative mentions)
- Pricing transparency — agents compare prices across retailers instantly
- Review sentiment — not just star ratings, but the substance of what reviews say about quality, reliability, and value
- Fulfillment reliability — delivery speed, stock history, return rates
The Agentic Commerce Stack
Several layers are converging to create agentic commerce:
| Layer | What's Happening | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| AI Shopping Agents | Agents that browse, compare, and buy products | OpenAI Operator, Google Project Mariner, Amazon Rufus |
| Conversational Commerce | Chat-based product discovery and purchase | ChatGPT Shopping, Perplexity Shopping |
| AI Advertising | Ads served within AI conversations | ChatGPT Ads (launched Feb 2026), Perplexity sponsored answers |
| Agent Infrastructure | Protocols for agents to communicate and transact | A2A (Agent-to-Agent) protocol, MCP, agent wallets |
How to Prepare for Agentic Commerce
Brands that prepare now will have a significant advantage. Key actions:
- Audit your AI-ready product data — Can an AI agent parse your product attributes, ingredients, and certifications from structured data?
- Monitor your AI share of voice — When consumers ask ChatGPT or Perplexity about your category, does your brand appear?
- Optimize for the invisible shelf — Ensure your products are discoverable by AI systems, not just human browsers
- Build brand entity strength — Strengthen your brand's presence across authoritative sources that AI models reference
Example: Optimizing for AI Shopping Agents
A CPG snack brand asked ChatGPT "what are the best high-protein snack bars under $3?" and their product didn't appear, despite being the #2 seller in the category on Amazon with a 4.5-star rating. The problem: their product data was optimized for human shoppers (great lifestyle images, compelling copy) but not for AI agents. Protein content wasn't in their structured data, allergen information was buried in paragraph descriptions instead of schema markup, and their Google Merchant Center feed was missing nutrition attributes entirely. After restructuring their data with Product schema, NutritionInformation schema, and complete feed attributes across all platforms, their brand appeared in ChatGPT responses within five weeks. Salesforce's 2025 Connected Shoppers report found that 39% of consumers have already used an AI tool to help with a purchase decision. Brands with incomplete structured data are invisible to the agents those consumers increasingly rely on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is agentic commerce actually happening now, or is it theoretical?
It's happening now, but early. Amazon's Rufus is already influencing purchase decisions for millions of shoppers. OpenAI's Operator can browse the web and complete purchases. ChatGPT Shopping launched with product cards and affiliate links. The infrastructure exists — adoption is accelerating through 2026.
How is agentic commerce different from recommendation algorithms?
Traditional recommendation algorithms (Amazon's "Customers also bought") suggest products within a single platform based on browsing history. Agentic commerce agents operate across platforms, compare prices, read reviews, evaluate brand reputation, and can execute purchases autonomously. The agent acts as a buyer's advocate, not a seller's tool.
What should CPG brands do first?
Start with an AI share of voice audit — find out where your brand appears (or doesn't) when AI agents evaluate your category. Then ensure your product data is AI-ready with proper structured data and schema markup. AI Radar tracks your brand's visibility across AI platforms to identify gaps.