Retailers and suppliers must act now to plan their approach to what’s been termed agentic AI – which operates autonomously unlike the more familiar generative equivalent - before automated retail rewrites how people shop, according to new research in a report from the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution).
While generative AI reacts to prompts to create content and answer questions, agentic AI proactively makes plans and executes actions towards desired outcomes.
Some retsilers have already made in-roads by using AI in their stores.
Now, the IGD’s new report, Agentic AI and the Future of Shopping, explains that widespread adoption of agentic AI will “rewrite shopper journeys and traditional touchpoints as basket decisions are increasingly decided by algorithms, not people.”
“Impulse, emotion and human discovery are redundant when it’s machine visibility, not shelf visibility, that shapes choice.”
Toby Pickard, retail futures senior partner at IGD, said: “Retailers and supplier products risk becoming invisible when AI agents build baskets. Impulse, emotion and human discovery are redundant when it’s machine visibility, not shelf visibility, that shapes choice.”
Unlike other retail sectors, food and grocery shopping is highly habitual and repetitive, making it particularly suited to automation. IGD’s analysis shows that agentic AI can already automate basket‑building and replenishment, compare prices and availability across multiple retailers and complete checkout without shopper intervention.
The US market is already seeing agentic AI solutions move from pilot to practice, including autonomous shopping assistants and more.
AI utilisation remains low in the UK, with only 3% of UK shoppers currently using AI tools for grocery shopping. However, the IGD warns adoption could accelerate rapidly once trust is established - following a similar pattern to online grocery and home delivery services.
“People consistently underestimate the long‑term impact of transformative technologies,” added Pickard. “Agentic AI won’t change everything overnight, but once shoppers trust it, convenience becomes the accelerator.”
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