When AI agents become the customer | MarTech

"Agentic AI introduces a new dynamic to the consumer-brand relationship, particularly as autonomous shopping agents interact directly with brand marketing agents. In the past, AI systems primarily supported recommendations based on user preferences. Now, agentic AI can shortlist options and make purchase decisions on a consumer's behalf. This shift moves decision-making away from the human and toward the AI system itself - changing how a product or service is selected."

"Data from Salesforce's 2025 Cyber Week - the peak of the holiday shopping season - shows that AI agents have evolved from passive service tools into active commercial engines, creating a competitive advantage for retailers that deploy them. Several areas highlight where AI, and agentic AI in particular, stood out. AI and agents influenced 20% of all Cyber Week orders, accounting for $67 billion in global sales. This positions them as more than a cost-saving measure - they are a primary driver of top-line growth."

"High-intent discovery leads to stronger conversion Traffic referred by third-party AI channels, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, is proving significantly more valuable than traffic from traditional social media channels. Volume from these AI-driven sources tripled compared with 2024. During Cyber Weekend, consumers arriving via AI agent channels showed significantly stronger buying intent, converting at a rate eight times higher than those coming from social platforms. Agentic means action During Cyber Week 2025, the volume of tasks completed by agents on behalf of shoppers, such as initiating returns or updating delivery address"

Agentic AI enables autonomous shopping agents to shortlist options and make purchases on consumers' behalf, shifting decision-making from humans to systems. Agentic agents acted as revenue drivers during Cyber Week 2025, influencing 20% of orders and $67 billion in global sales. Retailers deploying branded shopping agents saw sales grow 32% faster than those without. Third-party AI channels like ChatGPT and Perplexity drove tripled volume year-over-year and delivered traffic that converted at eight times the rate of social platforms. Agentic agents also executed operational tasks for shoppers, such as initiating returns and updating delivery information, increasing transactional efficiency.

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