Agentic commerce: How a Walmart executive says AI could change shopping

Walmart executive Daniel Danker said many "agentic commerce" AI tools lack consumer appeal and described potential uses such as personalized apparel previews and AI that remembers typical orders to reduce scrolling.

Companies are rolling out many "agentic commerce" tools that use AI agents to perform shopping tasks on behalf of consumers. Daniel Danker, Walmart's executive vice president of AI acceleration, project and design, said at a conference that many of those tools lack consumer appeal and that merchants are experimenting to learn what customers want. U.S. e-commerce made up about 16% of retail spending last quarter, and surveys from Adobe reported roughly one-third of shoppers used AI assistants. Retailers are testing different features to see which may improve the shopping experience. What was said: - "Agentic commerce" refers to AI agents performing tasks such as comparing prices or making purchases for consumers. - Daniel Danker said a lot of AI tools have been built that won't necessarily work or reflect what customers want. - He highlighted possible uses including displaying apparel on an image of the shopper rather than on professional models. - Danker described AI that remembers typical orders to reduce scrolling, using grocery examples to illustrate anticipating related items. - Other examples mentioned include asking AI about electronics compatibility, matching furniture to a home's layout (as suggested by experts), and Walmart's Sparky agent reminding customers of tasks at the store. - Adobe's surveys reported that shoppers who use AI assistants on merchant sites are more likely to buy and tend to spend more. Summary: Danker presented several practical ideas for how AI might enhance shopping while warning that not all tools will resonate with consumers. Retailers are experimenting to identify useful features and measure customer response; wider adoption and outcomes are undetermined at this time.