Exploring the shift toward the future of agentic commerce
- Article
- 5 MIN READ
- Sept 2, 2025
-
Sarah HackettManaging Director, EMEA
Summary
The 2025 Commerce BigSummit was an insightful look into the current state of commerce, and an opportunity to witness firsthand how the industry is gearing up for a major shift towards agentic AI. This, of course, was highlighted by the launch of Commerce, a new parent brand that unifies the capabilities of BigCommerce, Feedonomics, and Makeswift under one umbrella to drive this evolution forward.
Together, Commerce CEO Travis Hess says agentic commerce “requires a new playbook” and this change will give businesses “the flexibility, connectivity and care to help them move faster, scale smarter and grow on their terms.”
So what does this increased focus on agentic commerce mean for the industry, and how can businesses adapt to the changing landscape? Read on to learn the opportunities, challenges, and solutions for those looking to set themselves up for success.
Agentic AI for business: navigating implementation challenges
Agentic AI is a game-changer that moves beyond simple chatbots. It enables businesses to deliver rapid, personalized interactions that guide customers from contact to conversion by understanding complex requests and taking autonomous action.
The market is clearly ready for this. The use of other AI-powered tools among consumers is already widespread, with Salesforce predicting that AI and agentic AI will generate $260 billion in global online sales in the 2025 holiday shopping season. On top of that, they anticipate AI and agentic AI to drive $1.6 trillion in global in-store sales. And as we uncovered in our 2025 report on leadership priorities in personalization, half of all businesses are already preparing for the arrival of agentic technologies.
It’s clear that the industry is moving ahead, and consumer adoption will likely follow as the technology becomes more seamless and trustworthy. Yet, as with any new technology, many businesses struggle to bring their agentic AI vision into reality due to a number of key issues:
Technology Roadblocks: 43% of businesses say their current tech is holding them back from developing AI-driven experiences
Consumer Interest: Consumers remain split on agentic tools, with 46% reporting interest and 45% not interested. Proving value to customers will require a clear strategy around value and convenience.
Data Issues: Only 8% of businesses say they feel ready to build strategies that leverage their first-party data, suggesting many lack the ability to centralize, analyze, and use customer data effectively enough for agentic AI initiatives
Building a foundation for AI success
AI is rapidly changing how consumers discover and buy products, and businesses must adapt. Yet many companies struggle to get buy-in and scale because they can't measure AI's impact — proving that a clear strategy, not just new technology, is the key to success.
The fact is that more than 80% of AI projects fail to deliver on their promise, not because the technology isn’t up to the task, but because of common pitfalls like chasing perfection, over-engineering solutions, and a lack of user involvement. To beat the odds and ensure AI initiatives succeed, companies need a clear strategy that first focuses on establishing a solid foundation.
Building that foundation means taking a bottom-up approach to AI initiatives, with successful strategies following a few steps:
Gain an understanding of what’s possible within your current tech stack and processes, and establish where adjustments are possible and where more time and investment will be required
Focus on small, outcome-driven projects to demonstrate value, build confidence, and prove value early on, and build momentum from there
Treat AI as a journey, not a one-time deployment. Use agile approaches to continuously refine, measure, and scale solutions as technology and the business evolve.
User feedback should be a key driver for technical decisions, and AI implementation must be a continuous learning process. Ultimately, the most successful AI strategies keep people central to the process.
The next step in AI-powered commerce
The future of commerce is undoubtedly AI-powered and agentic. And if there’s one clear takeaway from that, it’s that companies need to focus on both the technology to support that transition and the clear vision and bottom-up strategic implementation required to put it to work. And as demonstrated by our work with Kraft Heinz in both establishing a foundation for AI and then building on it to deliver a powerful AI-driven solution, at Apply Digital, we specialize in providing exactly that.
Feeling the pressure to deliver efficiencies and revenue growth with AI, but not sure where to start? We can help to cut through the uncertainty. Providing personalized insights, clear next steps, and quick, tangible results, our AI Readiness Diagnostic gives the clarity you need to move forward with confidence. Take the AI Readiness Diagnostic to see where your business stands and plan your next steps with confidence.
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