Journey And The Destination: How Agentic AI Is Reshaping Shopping Journeys For Good

As consumers continue to expand their shopping horizons with the help of AI, so too are retailers, with a growing majority adopting technology (or planning on adopting technology) for many core operations and capabilities.

“Retailers are … planning for the next evolution of AI,” says Deloitte’s 2026 Retail Industry Global Outlook report,” with nearly 68% of respondents expecting to deploy agentic AI for key operational and enterprise activities within 12 to 24 months.”

The survey of 330 retail executives found that more than half (51%) expect multi-step shopping journeys to “collapse” into AI-driven interactions by the end of 2027. Nearly half (48%) expect genAI to weaken brand loyalty by the end of this year, “focusing customer choice on value or fit rather than brand recognition.”

(Source: Deloitte)

“If this expectation becomes reality, retailers should adopt certain AI hygiene factors, including ensuring that their product and pricing data are accurate, accessible, and optimized for AI readability so their products do not become invisible to consumers,” the report says. “The winners will likely be those who industrialize AI and integrate it into core business functions, deploying and orchestrating multiple AI agents across the organization.”

For more information about how to improve your email deliverability, download A Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing by Mirabel’s Marketing Manager: