Agentic commerce : E-commerce reinvents itself

E-commerce is on the cusp of a major transformation. Traditional shopping journeys, centered on research, comparison and clicking, are gradually giving way to a new generation of e-commerce, called agentic commerce. In this model, autonomous intelligent agents make decisions and perform actions on behalf of the user, profoundly redefining customer experiences and business priorities. According to McKinsey and PwC, this evolution could be one of the most significant transformations since the advent of e-commerce, comparable to the arrival of mobile and structured marketplaces.

Unlike traditional systems that simply recommend products, agentic commerce allows AI to fully manage the act of purchase. The user simply expresses their intent, and the AI agent is responsible for finding, comparing, and booking the optimal product or service, including payment and follow-up. This comprehensive delegation simplifies consumers' lives and forces brands to rethink their digital strategy and infrastructure. Data should be organized to be interpretable by agents, with comprehensive catalogs, inventory and pricing information, and clear terms and conditions.

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A revolution in the travel sector

The travel sector is a perfect example of this change. Trips typically combine flights, accommodations, transfers, and various activities, making planning complex and time-consuming. The commercial agency simplifies this process by allowing an AI agent to orchestrate the entire stay. According to trends highlighted by Phocuswright and analyses by Breaking Travel News, AI agents are no longer content with just recommending. They are able to execute comprehensive transactions, combining reservation, comparison, and automated payment, while respecting budget constraints, personal preferences, and real-time availability.

For these agents to work effectively, businesses need to provide structured and accessible data. An agency or platform that does not meet these standards can become invisible to AI agents and lose business opportunities. This data structuring therefore becomes a decisive competitive advantage.

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The transformed customer experience

In the agentic model, the consumer no longer needs to actively navigate multiple sites to find the best deal. He simply expresses his needs and the AI agent takes care of everything. A request such as “find a stay in Rome before May 20 for a budget of less than €800” triggers a comprehensive analysis of the available options, the optimal choice of flights and accommodations, booking and payment, as well as the sending of automatic confirmations.

This automation is transforming the customer-brand relationship. The visibility of a product or service depends less on emotional marketing or advertising than on the quality and reliability of the data. Brands that can provide clear, structured information that can be easily used by AI agents will naturally be preferred.

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Autonomous payments: a strategic lever

The Phocuswright 2025 conference highlighted the importance of automated payments in the commercial agency. AI agents are now able to carry out secure transactions in coordination with payment providers, by verifying the identity of the user and by validating the intention to purchase. This automation represents a major competitive advantage, as it makes it possible to finalize complex transactions without human intervention, while ensuring security and compliance.

Setting up autonomous payments requires solid and reliable infrastructures, but it paves the way for a new generation of fully delegated user experiences and unprecedented transaction fluidity.

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Implications for brands

The commercial agency is profoundly redefining the role of brands. Emotional marketing is still useful, but it is no longer enough. The focus is on operational efficiency, data reliability, and the ability to provide a consistent experience between users and AI agents. Businesses need to rethink their global strategy, bringing together marketing, UX, data, and technical teams, bringing together marketing, UX, data, and technical teams in order to create interoperable, reliable, and optimized systems for the commerce agency.

Businesses that can anticipate this transformation and adapt their infrastructure today will be in a better position to capture the value of tomorrow's automated commerce.

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