In 2025, a major shift in online shopping began to take shape as artificial intelligence evolved from a recommendation tool into an active decision-maker capable of completing purchases on behalf of consumers.
This new model, widely referred to as agentic shopping, represents a turning point in digital commerce. Instead of simply suggesting products, AI agents can now search for deals, monitor price drops, and execute transactions automatically when certain conditions are met, fundamentally changing how consumers interact with retailers.
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At the heart of agentic shopping is automation paired with intent. Consumers can instruct AI systems to locate the lowest available price, apply discounts, or wait until an item reaches a preferred price threshold before purchasing.
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These agents operate continuously in the background, scanning multiple retailers at once and responding instantly to pricing changes. This eliminates the need for manual browsing, price comparisons, or coupon hunting, shifting the burden of deal-finding from the consumer to the machine.
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Major players in the payments and commerce ecosystem are already adapting to this transformation. According to CNBC reporting, companies like Visa and Mastercard are seeing tangible changes in consumer behavior as AI-powered shopping tools gain traction. Shoppers are becoming more deliberate and value-focused, relying on technology to maximize purchasing power.
Despite economic pressures, U.S. holiday retail sales still rose by roughly 4%, a growth attributed in part to consumers using AI tools to find discounts and shop more strategically.
Industry economists quoted in the report noted that while in-store purchases still accounted for the majority of spending, online shopping benefited significantly from early deals and automated price discovery.
One executive observed that consumers were “more intentional with their spending,” using promotions and technology to stretch budgets rather than cutting back entirely. This trend suggests that AI-driven shopping tools may actually encourage spending by reducing friction and uncertainty around pricing.
The rise of agentic shopping also signals a compression of the traditional e-commerce funnel. Rather than navigating multiple websites, adding items to carts, and checking out manually, consumers can rely on AI agents to handle the entire process end-to-end.
From product selection to payment authorization, these systems are designed to act autonomously within user-defined boundaries. Retailers, in turn, are being forced to rethink pricing strategies, promotional timing, and loyalty programs as machines — not humans — increasingly become the primary shoppers.
Experts quoted in the CNBC report emphasized that this shift goes beyond convenience. It reflects a deeper change in consumer expectations, where shoppers want seamless, personalized experiences that minimize effort.
Generative AI is no longer just an assistant; it is becoming an intermediary between consumers and the marketplace, capable of negotiating value at scale.
At the same time, the emergence of autonomous purchasing raises important questions. Issues surrounding transparency, data security, and consumer control remain central concerns.
Industry leaders stress that safeguards must be built in to ensure users understand what actions AI agents are taking on their behalf and retain the ability to override or set strict limits on purchasing behavior.
