AI has quickly become one of the biggest conversations in Retail and Commerce Media.
Across the industry, retailers, brands and technology companies are exploring how AI could improve campaign planning, automate decision-making, strengthen personalisation and create more connected commerce experiences.
At the same time, the rise of agentic commerce is introducing a more fundamental question: what happens when AI systems begin to take a more active role in how consumers discover, compare and purchase products?
The potential is significant, but so is the level of uncertainty.
As the market moves from experimentation towards practical adoption, the industry must separate the opportunities worth acting on now from those that may still be running ahead of reality.
AI is already being used across many areas of Retail Media. It can help retailers and advertisers analyse large datasets, identify audience and product trends, improve campaign targeting and automate elements of optimisation. It can also support more efficient content production, forecasting and decision-making.
For businesses managing increasingly complex Retail Media activity across multiple platforms and markets, these capabilities could create meaningful operational benefits.
However, the value of AI will depend on how effectively it is applied.
New tools alone will not solve unclear objectives, fragmented data or weak measurement. AI must be supported by strong foundations, including reliable data, appropriate oversight and a clear understanding of the problem being addressed.
Many organisations are actively testing AI, but levels of maturity vary considerably. Some businesses are already integrating AI into established workflows. Others remain focused on pilots and individual use cases. Many are still deciding where to invest and how to assess the value being created.
This gap between interest and adoption raises several important questions. Which use cases are delivering measurable results? Where is human oversight still essential? What skills and capabilities will teams need? And how should organisations balance the pressure to innovate with the need to manage risk?
The next stage of AI adoption in Retail Media will require more than enthusiasm. It will require practical evidence, clear governance and the confidence to distinguish meaningful innovation from hype.
Agentic commerce refers to the use of AI-powered systems that can carry out tasks and make decisions with increasing independence.
In a commerce setting, this could mean an AI agent helping a consumer research products, compare options, make recommendations, or even complete a purchase based on their preferences.
This could change how consumers interact with retailers and brands. Rather than navigating every stage of the purchase journey themselves, consumers may increasingly delegate parts of that journey to digital agents.
For Retail Media, this raises important questions about visibility, influence and value. How will brands ensure their products are considered by AI-powered agents? What information will those agents use to make recommendations? How might advertising work in an environment where the immediate audience is not always a person?
Agentic commerce could create entirely new routes to product discovery.
Today, brands invest heavily in search, sponsored products, display and other formats designed to reach consumers as they browse and shop. In an agent-led environment, discovery could become less dependent on a consumer actively scrolling through results.
Instead, an AI agent may filter, prioritise and recommend products on their behalf. This could increase convenience for consumers, but it could also change how brands compete for attention.
Product data, availability, pricing, reviews and brand trust may become even more important if agents rely on these signals to decide which products to recommend.
Retailers and advertisers will need to consider how their data and propositions are interpreted not only by consumers, but by the systems assisting them.
While agentic commerce has the potential to create meaningful change, the market is still developing.
Consumer adoption, technical reliability, data access and trust will all influence how quickly agent-led shopping becomes mainstream.
There are also important questions around transparency and control.
Consumers will need confidence that recommendations reflect their interests. Brands will need greater clarity on how decisions are made. Retailers will need to understand how agent-led interactions affect customer relationships and commercial models.
The industry should therefore avoid treating agentic commerce as either an immediate revolution or a distant possibility.
The more useful approach is to identify where practical opportunities exist today while preparing for how consumer behaviour and commerce infrastructure may change over time.
AI and agentic commerce will affect every part of the Retail Media ecosystem differently.
Retailers may see opportunities to improve customer experiences and operational efficiency. Brands may gain new ways to connect with consumers, while also facing new challenges around visibility. Agencies and technology companies will play an important role in helping businesses navigate the changing landscape.
Bringing these perspectives together will be essential.
At IAB Europe’s Retail Media Impact Summit, AI and agentic commerce will be explored through interactive sessions designed to test assumptions and gather views from across the industry.
Particular Audience will lead Crowdsourcing the Future: The AI in Retail Media Town Hall, using live audience polling to examine where the market currently stands on AI adoption, opportunities and concerns.
Koddi will also explore Five Big Questions About Agentic Commerce, using new research to challenge expectations and identify where practical value may emerge.
The Retail Media Impact Summit takes place on 7th October 2026 at Felix Meritis in Amsterdam.
The event will bring Europe’s Retail & Commerce Media community together to examine the technologies, partnerships and priorities influencing the sector’s next phase.
Join us to explore where AI is already delivering value, what agentic commerce could mean for the market and which developments businesses should be preparing for now.
IAB Europe members are eligible for discounted tickets. Contact communication [at] iabeurope.eu for more information.
