Agentic commerce is here and changing the way people shop — and should be changing the way brands and retailers market and sell, too. That’s a key message from the first thought leadership discussion in Circana’s ongoing “AI, Measured” webinar series.

Circana’s Kiara Barrett, global head of thought leadership, and Sally Lyons Wyatt, global chief advisor, consumer goods and foodservice insights, explored how agentic AI is accelerating and rewriting commerce across industries, categories and functions. A recent Circana finding underscores the urgency of winning both the algorithm and the consumer: 67% of consumers reported in May 2026 that they tried generative AI products or used AI to recommend something, up from 55% in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Below are some topline takeaways from the discussion:

AI Adoption is Already Inside Your Existing Traffic

With more than two-thirds of consumers reporting that they use generative AI, brands need to assume every high-consideration category interaction now involves this technology and other fast-emerging forms of it. For example, a recent Circana survey indicates that consumers mostly use AI-powered search tools to research electronics and technology products (37%), beauty and personal care items (28%), and apparel and accessories (26%).

Additionally, retailers can take a cue from how current on-platform investments are paying off: two of the nation’s largest e-commerce and physical store retailers that are embracing agentic AI are now reaching wider audiences and netting higher orders.

Agents Increasingly Direct the Roadmap 

Coming sooner than you think: a world in which three out of every four purchases involve an agent from the point of inspiration to checkout. Consumers retain the buying power, but agents increasingly own discovery, consideration, and post-purchase support.

An agent evaluates signals differently than consumers do. For example, agents prioritize long-form content, third-party attribution, and user-generated content. 

This means brands must now win both the algorithm and the shopper. As shelves compress from 100 SKUs to a digital 20 to an agentic 2, visibility depends on machine-readable data.

Trust is a Prerequisite

Agents inspire, facilitate, and often help close a sale, but control remains a potential barrier to adoption. More than half (54%) of consumers in a recent Circana survey said that they were uncomfortable allowing an AI assistant to automatically find, compare, and purchase products based on their preferences.

Trust is a hot topic in commerce circles for a reason, and today, it’s genuinely split. Circana data shows that 40% of consumers “mostly” or “completely” trust AI recommendations, 42% sit in a cautious middle, and 18% do not trust them at all.

The opportunity is the movable middle. These consumers are not rejecting AI — they want evidence it works for them specifically. To convert wary buyers from a “somewhat trust” to “mostly trust” mindset, accurate product data, transparent sourcing, and consistent outcomes are needed.

All brands and retailers can keep in mind that humans remain core to building trust. Keep the human in the decision seat, be explicit about data handling, and move at the consumer's pace.

Where Automation Fits In With Consumers

Interestingly, one of the benefits most often discussed in the industry is the one consumers value least. When asked what matters most from a shopping agent, consumers shared their opinions:

• 54% want the lowest price

• 48% want to save time

• 30% want personalized recommendations

• 23% want reduced “decision fatigue”

• Only 14% want automated routine purchases

  
  

The research indicates consumers want a sharper, faster version of the shopping they already do. What does this mean for brands, retailers, and others who serve shoppers? Lead with savings and speed. 

Now, What? Five Levers to Pull for Wins

Success in an agentic economy rests on five levers, all built on a foundation of data and integration: visibility and inclusion, sentiment and framing, recommendation power, conversion influence, and accuracy and trust. Although the playbook may differ, these levers are identical for everyone.

• For brands and manufacturers — play offense on being found and chosen: Confirm you are listed and tagged everywhere you sell, that reviews reinforce your intended positioning, and that data is consistent across every retailer. A mistagged attribute is not a back-office problem — it is the reason you were absent from the consideration set entirely.

  
  

• For retailers — play offense on owning the selection system: Control what gets recommended, ranked, and substituted; monetize the recommendation moment; and use loyalty and behavioral data to personalize and optimize profit per decision. This is not a project you finish, but a system you continuously tune.

  
  

Consumers are adopting AI faster than most plans assume, which means shifts are also speeding up. Stay tuned for additional webinars on this timely topic:

• “AI, Measured - The Math of AI: Winning as a Brand,” that explores 10 formulas driving brand growth in an AI-guided market and how loyalty is being redefined as agents mediate more purchases.

  
  

• “AI, Measured - The Consumer Verdict,” that looks at Circana’s latest consumer research on awareness, trust, and willingness to engage with AI-powered shopping experiences. 

The series will conclude with a webinar highlighting the results of Circana’s newest agentic commerce research and how different consumer segments are shaping the future of AI-assisted shopping.

Learn more about specific use cases for AI-powered insights.