Own the Agentic Commerce Experience: Consumers Are Ready

IBM’s 2026 Consumer Research Study explores how artificial intelligence is transforming retail through agentic commerce. Based on surveys of more than 18,000 consumers across 23 countries and 200 retail executives, the report examines changing consumer spending behaviors, AI-assisted shopping, trust, personalization, and emerging autonomous AI shopping agents. It outlines how retailers can prepare for AI-driven commerce by improving data quality, creating seamless omnichannel experiences, strengthening governance, and building trusted brand advocacy networks. The research concludes that organizations investing in transparency, interoperable AI systems, and customer trust will be best positioned to compete as AI increasingly influences purchasing decisions.