It was just a few months ago that Walmart announced it had hooked up with Google to allow online shoppers to not only search and compare using AI but to actually make their purchases without going back to the original store website. It was an amazing game changer and seemed to point the way for more retailers to eventually adapt similar tech to their operations down the road.
Well, that point in the road has been reached far quicker than many people thought. Agentic AI - it’s the term for when the tech becomes an “agent” for the shopper and handles the transaction -- is suddenly turning up seemingly everywhere in the retail landscape. Among the brands now employing the technology are Target, REI, Wayfair, Shopify and Etsy.
The latest to offer AI ordering is Ashley, the giant furniture and home furnishings chain that is believed to be the largest in the country and the first to offer AI ordering. It announced last month it had partnered up with the AI service Perplexity to allow customers to ask for product recommendations, add items to their cart and complete a payment through PayPal in a single step.
“As more customers begin their furniture search on AI platforms such as Perplexity, this new capability positions Ashley at the forefront of agentic commerce,” the company said in a press release. “By offering a fully shoppable experience within Perplexity, we’re removing friction and giving customers a smarter, more intuitive way to shop Ashley.”
Just as other technologies that have driven online shopping have taken hold throughout the retail world, Agentic AI is now doing the same -- only faster.