The Rise of Agentic Commerce: AI Assistants Are About to Do Your Shopping

LONDON, UK – January 07, 2026 – The era of endlessly scrolling through online stores and manually filling shopping carts may soon be a relic of the past. A new paradigm, known as “Agentic Commerce,” is poised to redefine retail, and companies like Rezolve Ai are positioning it as the industry’s next major growth engine. At the upcoming NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show in New York, Rezolve Ai plans a high-profile demonstration of this future, where intelligent, autonomous AI agents act on behalf of consumers to manage the entire shopping journey from inspiration to purchase.

This shift represents a significant leap beyond current AI applications like chatbots or recommendation algorithms. Instead of merely assisting shoppers, these sophisticated AI agents are designed with agency—the ability to operate autonomously to achieve goals. They will learn a user's style, budget, and intent, then proactively search, compare, and even transact across the digital marketplace, promising a level of personalization and convenience that could fundamentally alter consumer behavior.

The Dawn of the Autonomous Shopper

At the heart of this transformation is the concept of an AI that doesn't just respond, but anticipates and acts. Rezolve Ai, in a strategic collaboration with Microsoft and the virtual fashion platform Fashable, will offer a glimpse into this future at NRF 2026. Their live demonstration, titled "Shop Limitless Inspiration," aims to showcase an immersive retail experience where AI agents take center stage.

Attendees will witness AI-curated outfits rendered on synthetic models, personalized in real-time to an individual shopper’s body shape, style preferences, and stated intent—such as finding an outfit for a specific event. Powered by Rezolve’s visual search and multi-modal AI, the system will allow users to interact with avatars that mirror real-world fit and see AI-generated apparel in motion. The experience is designed to flow seamlessly from visual discovery to autonomous transaction, removing the traditional friction points of online shopping.

“NRF 2026 represents a pivotal moment for the retail industry,” said Daniel M. Wagner, Founder and CEO of Rezolve Ai, in a recent announcement. “Agentic Commerce will be the defining retail technology in 2026 and retailers are facing unprecedented pressure to deliver personalized, frictionless experiences while driving measurable ROI.” The company asserts that this technology will not only enhance the customer journey but also deliver tangible business results, including higher conversion rates, larger average basket sizes, and a significant reduction in product returns.

A Multi-Trillion Dollar Bet on 'The Intent Economy'

The vision extends far beyond a single company’s demonstration. The move toward Agentic Commerce is part of a broader industry shift toward what Rezolve Ai is calling “The Intent Economy,” where value is created by accurately understanding and autonomously acting on consumer intent. This concept will be the focus of exclusive executive roundtables the company is hosting at the NRF event.

Market analysts project a massive economic impact. According to research from McKinsey, Agentic Commerce could orchestrate up to $5 trillion in global revenue by 2030, fundamentally reshaping the B2C landscape. This potential has attracted the attention of tech giants. Rezolve Ai’s partnership with Microsoft is a case in point, representing a significant vote of confidence. Microsoft has committed over $130 million in Go-to-Market and co-sell support over five years to accelerate the adoption of Rezolve's 'Brain Suite' of AI tools, which will be powered by Microsoft Azure and available on its global marketplace.

This level of investment underscores the belief that AI agents will become the primary interface between consumers and retailers. For merchants, this means a critical need to adapt. Product data must become AI-readable, and platforms will require robust API connectivity to allow these new digital shoppers to discover, evaluate, and purchase their goods. The competition will no longer be just for human eyeballs on a website, but for the attention of billions of autonomous AI agents scouring the internet for the best products.

The Human Element in an Automated World

The rise of autonomous shopping agents inevitably raises critical questions about the future of retail employment. With AI capable of handling tasks from product discovery to checkout, roles traditionally performed by humans are set for a dramatic transformation. Projections suggest a significant decline in positions like cashiers and basic customer service representatives, with some analyses indicating that nearly a third of current retail jobs could be displaced by automation in the coming decade.

However, the narrative is not one of simple replacement. Many experts, including those at the World Economic Forum, predict that while millions of jobs will be disrupted, even more new roles will emerge. The focus will shift from routine, automatable tasks to higher-value work that requires uniquely human skills: emotional intelligence, complex problem-solving, and strategic thinking. AI is expected to augment human capabilities, freeing employees to handle escalated customer issues, analyze complex data to improve the shopping experience, and train the very AI systems that are reshaping their industry. This transition will place an immense demand on retailers to invest in robust upskilling and reskilling programs, preparing their workforce for a future where collaboration with intelligent machines is the norm.

Navigating the New Frontier of Trust and Privacy

For Agentic Commerce to achieve widespread adoption, it must overcome a formidable hurdle: consumer trust. The technology’s effectiveness hinges on its ability to collect and process vast quantities of personal data—from purchasing history and browsing habits to body measurements and behavioral patterns. This creates a landscape fraught with significant ethical and privacy challenges.

Consumers will need strong assurances that their sensitive information is secure and that the algorithms making decisions on their behalf are transparent and fair. Key questions of accountability remain unanswered. If an AI agent makes an incorrect or unauthorized purchase, who is liable? Is it the consumer who set the parameters, the AI provider who built the agent, or the merchant who sold the goods? Establishing clear regulatory frameworks will be crucial for building the necessary trust for consumers to delegate their purchasing power to an autonomous entity.

As this technology moves from the convention floor to the consumer market, its success will depend not only on its technical prowess but on its ability to forge a secure and transparent relationship with the users it aims to serve. The journey into the Intent Economy is just beginning, and it promises to be as complex as it is transformative.