402. How agentic AI is redefining the future of retail

Retail Gets Real · with Ali Furman and Barbara O’Beirne · January 21, 2026 · 26 min

Summary

Agentic AI is moving from experimental to execution phases, fundamentally reshaping retail by enabling AI to evaluate options, make decisions, and transact on behalf of consumers. This is a structural change, redefining the shopping funnel and impacting how consumers decide what to buy. Retailers need to understand this shift to effectively transition AI initiatives from pilots to full-scale implementation.

Key takeaways

• Agentic AI represents a structural shift, not a trend, allowing AI to make decisions and transact on behalf of consumers, altering the upper funnel of purchasing decisions.
• Commerce is rapidly integrating into AI conversations and platforms; retailers must strategize for AI-driven interactions.
• For brick-and-mortar stores, agentic AI will redefine in-store experiences and operations.
• Retailers should focus on transitioning AI initiatives from pilot programs to full-scale implementation, leveraging partners like PwC and Stripe for guidance.
• Retail leaders should identify immediate, actionable steps to begin their AI journey, focusing on practical applications over theoretical exploration.

Themes

Topics covered

Episode description

Live from NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in New York City, Ali Furman, partner and U.S. consumer markets industry leader at PwC, and Barbara O’Beirne, head of global enterprise business development at Stripe, both join Retail Gets Real for a wide-ranging conversation on how AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to execution — and what that means for retailers right now.Near the Expo floor buzzing with robots, AI demos and next-generation technology, Furman and O’Beirne unpack why agentic AI represents a structural change rather than a passing trend. Unlike earlier generations of AI that primarily assisted with search and discovery, agentic AI is designed to act. It can evaluate options, make decisions and increasingly transact on behalf of consumers. They say this evolution is reshaping the very top of the shopping funnel and redefining how consumers decide what to buy.(00:00:00) Why agentic AI was everywhere at NRF 2026(00:04:49) How commerce is moving inside AI conversations(00:07:29) Why agentic commerce is a structural shift, not a trend(00:10:21) How will agentic AI impact bricks-and-mortar retail?(00:12:45) How PwC and Stripe are helping retailers move from pilots to reality(00:18:31) Where retail leaders should start with AI right nowThe National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.Resources:• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/adv

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Frequently asked about this episode

What does this episode say about ai & automation?

Agentic AI represents a structural shift, not a trend, allowing AI to make decisions and transact on behalf of consumers, altering the upper funnel of purchasing decisions.

What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?

Commerce is rapidly integrating into AI conversations and platforms; retailers must strategize for AI-driven interactions.

What does this episode say about dtc strategy?

For brick-and-mortar stores, agentic AI will redefine in-store experiences and operations.

What does this episode say about ai & automation?

Retailers should focus on transitioning AI initiatives from pilot programs to full-scale implementation, leveraging partners like PwC and Stripe for guidance.

What does this episode say about ai & automation?

Retail leaders should identify immediate, actionable steps to begin their AI journey, focusing on practical applications over theoretical exploration.

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