MarTech: When AI agents become the customer

This article was written by Greg Kihlström for MarTech. Read the full article here.

Agentic AI is intermediating the consumer-brand relationship, changing how products are discovered, evaluated and purchased.

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. Below are key areas where agentic AI is already influencing marketing and commerce, along with where its impact is expected to grow in the months ahead.

Holiday 2025 as a glimpse into the agentic future

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 agents as revenue accelerators

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. During Cyber Week, retailers that deployed branded shopping agents on their websites saw sales grow 32% faster than those that did not.

This article was written by Greg Kihlström for MarTech. Read the full article here.