More than two-thirds (68%) of consumers in the UK and Ireland have already used an AI agent to help them shop, according to new research from global AI deployment partner CI&T.
The company’s Retail Tech Report: Agentic Commerce Edition found that 86% of respondents have either used an AI agent when shopping or are open to doing so in the future. Among those who have not yet tried the technology, 57% said they are open to doing so.
The findings suggest AI is becoming the starting point for many purchase journeys rather than replacing retailers’ own websites. CI&T argues that agents have effectively become a digital shopping mall, bringing brands and product categories together while optimising purchase decisions in real time.
Consumers are primarily using AI to compare brands (45%), finding the lowest price (42%), and finding where specific items can be bought (39%).
The research also found that 67% say AI makes them smarter shoppers.
Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy and Insights at CI&T said:
“Agentic commerce is now a reality in modern shopping. Having tracked consumer shopping habits for nearly a decade, we’ve seen the traditional path of purchase evolve from ‘discover > research > buy’ to ‘research > discovery > buy,’ and the rapid adoption of AI agents aligns perfectly with this shift.”“Agents are not replacing retailers’ websites, but they are increasingly becoming consumers’ first touchpoint. It’s important that retailers start thinking practically about how to make the most of this opportunity: improving discoverability within LLMs while differentiating their owned channels with experiences that third-party agents simply can’t replicate.”
The company says, retail and CPG organisations must now treat these agents as part of their omnichannel commerce strategy, arguing that they have the potential to influence purchasing decisions by combining product discovery and research into a single interaction.
The findings add to growing evidence that generative AI is reshaping how consumers discover products online, with retailers increasingly needing to optimise not only for traditional search engines but also for large language models and AI-powered shopping assistants.
