Featured Post: My Reading & Podcast List
Here are recent books I’ve read and podcasts I enjoy. If you’re looking for something interesting to listen to or read, these are a few that have stood out to me. Let me know if you have a recommendations.
AI Shopping During the Holidays and What It Means
Holiday shopping offered an early look at how consumers are using AI to research products and guide purchase decisions. The results reveal important signals about how ecommerce may evolve in 2026.
The holiday shopping season is often the clearest indicator of how consumers are actually using new technology. In 2025, AI moved from novelty to a practical shopping assistant for many consumers. Shoppers increasingly use AI tools to research gift ideas, compare products, and narrow their purchasing decisions. At the same time, consumer trust in AI for shopping rose dramatically throughout the year, signaling that AI-assisted commerce may soon become part of everyday buying behavior rather than a niche experiment. This can also have a ripple effect on the brand-consumer relationship.
In my latest article for AIThority, I examine what holiday shopping behavior revealed about the growing role of AI in e-commerce and what it may signal for the year ahead. The trends raise several questions brands should begin thinking about now:
If shoppers increasingly rely on AI to research and recommend products, how will brands influence those recommendations?
Will AI shopping behavior shift more commerce back toward desktop environments rather than mobile?
What does the rise of AI-generated traffic mean for traditional discovery channels like search and social media?
How should marketers adapt if AI becomes a primary entry point into the shopping journey?
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Agentic AI in Ecommerce: How It May Transform the Brand-Customer Relationship
Agentic AI is starting to make purchases on behalf of consumers, raising a new question for e-commerce: who is the real customer—the shopper or the AI? Traditional tactics like emotional branding and retargeting may not work the same way. Brands that adapt early by optimizing product data and strengthening identity will be best positioned for this shift.
I recently wrote an article titled “How Agentic AI in E-Commerce May Transform the Brand-Customer Relationship” for Total Retail, where I explored how autonomous AI shopping agents could reshape the way brands and customers interact. Below are some of the key questions and takeaways I discussed.
What Agentic AI Means for ECommerce Brands
Agentic AI is shifting the role of the “customer” from humans to autonomous shopping agents. That change raises big questions about how brands should adapt.
How can e-commerce brands optimize product data for AI agents?
If an AI agent is the one “shopping,” are brands really optimizing for human eyes or for machine readability? What happens if your product catalog isn’t agent-friendly?Can brands still build customer loyalty if AI agents make the purchases?
Can brands still build loyalty when the actual “customer” making purchase decisions is an AI agent with no emotions? Will storytelling and human touchpoints even matter in this new dynamic?How will agentic AI change ecommerce pricing strategies?
If agents are programmed to automatically buy the lowest-priced option that meets user criteria, what room is left for premium positioning or differentiation? Could price wars become the new normal?
Key Questions About the Future of Brand-Customer Relationships
As agentic AI matures, the traditional marketing playbook may no longer apply. Here are some of the uncertainties brands should be asking now.
What fraud risks come with autonomous AI shopping agents?
What new vulnerabilities emerge when autonomous agents handle transactions? Could fraudsters exploit agent logic in ways humans wouldn’t fall for?Will marketing tactics like retargeting still work in an AI-driven future?
If agents don’t browse, get distracted, or abandon carts, what happens to tactics like retargeting and promotional emails? Do we need to reinvent the entire playbook for digital marketing?
What's The Future of Agentic AI Ecosystems in Retail?
Agentic AI is no longer just a concept — it’s becoming an ecosystem. From Amazon and Walmart to Mastercard and Google, major players are racing to build AI-driven shopping environments that can search, compare, and even purchase on behalf of consumers. But with that convenience comes big questions: Who will control these ecosystems? What does it mean for smaller brands? And how will retailers adapt loyalty strategies when the “customer” might actually be an AI agent?
I recently wrote an article titled “The Future of Agentic AI Ecosystems in Retail” for Retail TouchPoints, where I explored how autonomous agents are evolving in e-commerce and what that means for brands, platforms, and shoppers. Below are some of the key questions and insights I discussed.
What Retailers Should Understand About Agentic AI Ecosystems
What is agentic AI, and how is it changing ecommerce?
Agentic AI refers to autonomous agents acting on behalf of users to browse, compare, and even purchase products. It’s moving rapidly beyond simple assistants and could reshape fundamental expectations in ecommerce.Which companies are already building or using agentic tools?
Examples like Amazon’s Buy For Me, Mastercard’s Agent Pay, Walmart’s developing tools, Google’s AI Mode, etc., show how big players are investing in this future.How many consumers trust agents to buy for them?
According to a recent survey, 66% of consumers currently refuse agentic AI when making purchases, even if it promises better deals. But that resistance may shift as usage and familiarity grow.
Key Concerns & Strategic Questions for the Future
What does “owning the AI shopping ecosystem” mean for power and data?
When companies control marketplaces, payment, fulfillment, and AI, they also control critical data flows. That can create huge leverage and potentially an unfair advantage.Will a consolidated ecosystem hurt small and lesser-known brands?
If a few major players dominate, exposure may tilt toward big brands. Small brands may struggle to be discovered or included unless they pay to play.Can consumers’ needs be met if AI agents become closed systems?
If agents only operate in certain ecosystems or favor certain sellers, users may lose out on choice, better deals, or discovery. Also, fragmented ecosystems might cause friction or confusion.How must brands shift from acquisition-first to post-purchase and loyalty focus?
With agents acting for customers, traditional loyalty (based on emotion, recognition, repeat purchase) may weaken. Brands might need to be the “preferred option” via quality, experience, and first-party channels (email, SMS, etc.).