Agentic Commerce
Agentic commerce is reshaping how people shop online. Instead of browsing and comparing products themselves, consumers can now delegate purchasing to AI agents that interpret their needs, find suitable products, and complete transactions.
This shift is already underway.
For UK small businesses, it presents both opportunity and risk. AI-assisted shopping can surface niche, authentic and values-led businesses without large advertising budgets. However, businesses that are not structured for AI visibility risk becoming invisible.
McKinsey estimates that agentic commerce could reach £2–£4 trillion globally by 2030, signalling a significant shift in how customers discover and buy. The UK, with one of the most advanced e-commerce markets in Europe, is well placed to benefit.
Start your Agentic Commerce journey
Understand what the digital economy means for your business and how to get ready for AI-driven, agentic commerce today.
What this means in practice
A customer might say:
“Find me a plastic-free party kit for 20 children under £100, delivered by Friday”
An AI agent can interpret this request, evaluate products, and complete the purchase, without the customer visiting multiple websites or interacting directly with individual businesses.
Key trends
66% of UK shoppers say they are likely to use AI for at least one part of their shopping
journey (Shopify, 2025)
Transaction values can increase by around 28%, driven by personalisation and automated basket optimisation (WorldMetrics, 2026)
35–39% of UK SMEs were actively using AI tools by 2025, showing rapid year-on year growth. (Mole Valley Chamber, 2026)
How to get started
You do not need a large budget or major technical changes to become agentic-ready. Start by improving the accuracy, consistency and structure of the information you already publish.
Step 1: Audit your current visibility
Check how AI tools present your business and note what needs fixing.
- Search for your business and key products in AI tools, then note what is accurate, missing or inconsistent.
- Check that your business name, description and product details match across your website, Google Business Profile and other platforms.
- Fix obvious gaps such as missing descriptions, outdated pricing, limited reviews or inconsistent images.
Step 2: Get your product data in order
Make sure AI tools can clearly interpret your products.
- For each product, provide clear descriptions, accurate pricing, current availability, delivery details, returns information and representative images.
- Use consistent identifiers and claims, and keep reviews current and visible.
- Most e-commerce platforms add some structured data automatically, but you should still check that it is complete and consistent across channels.
Step 3: Build your off-site presence
- Do not rely on your website alone. Build a consistent presence across the wider web.
- Prioritise reviews, third-party mentions, key listings and consistent social media. Keep your business information identical wherever it appears.
- A stronger digital footprint builds trust and improves your chances of being recommended.
Step 4: Create AI-readable content
- Create clear content that AI tools can understand and use.
- Answer real customer questions directly, especially through FAQs and blog posts.
- Keep this content up to date and aligned with your products, values and customer needs.
Step 5: Prepare your operations for agent-led customers
- Be ready to serve customers who may know little about your brand.
- Keep pricing, availability, delivery and returns information accurate and easy to understand.
- Keep your product catalogue up to date to avoid errors across platforms.
Step 6: Use AI tools in your own business
- Use AI tools to improve efficiency across your business.
- Try AI for product descriptions, customer enquiries, admin, marketing and research.
- Start small, test what works and build your use of AI over time.