AI is becoming the first stop in online shopping as agentic search grows rapidly

The way consumers discover products online is changing rapidly, with artificial intelligence increasingly becoming the first step in the shopping journey.

New data from Salesforce shows that the use of agentic search as the starting point for a purchase journey increased 200% year over year. The research combines data from more than 1.5 billion shoppers with surveys of thousands of consumers and commerce professionals.

The development represents a major shift in online retail.

For more than two decades, search engines and retailer websites have been the main entry points for digital shopping. Consumers typed product names into search boxes, compared results and then visited individual websites.

AI assistants are beginning to change that sequence.

A shopper can now describe a problem or a preference in natural language and ask an AI system to identify suitable products.

Instead of searching for a specific model, the consumer might ask for a laptop suitable for video editing within a certain budget, or running shoes designed for long-distance training.

The AI system can then interpret the request and potentially compare multiple products.

Salesforce data also shows that traffic referred from AI conversations has increased significantly, while traditional search is becoming a smaller part of product discovery.

For retailers, this creates a new challenge.

Brands need to ensure that product information is structured, accurate and detailed enough for AI systems to understand.

Product descriptions, specifications, availability, pricing and reviews may become inputs into automated purchasing decisions.

The change also affects advertising.

If consumers increasingly discover products through AI assistants rather than search engines, traditional search advertising models could come under pressure.

Retailers may instead compete to make their products more likely to be recommended by AI systems.

This creates a new form of digital visibility.

Search engine optimisation has dominated e-commerce marketing for years. AI recommendation optimisation could become the next major discipline.

The transformation is still in its early stages, but the direction is clear: the online shopping journey is becoming more conversational, personalised and increasingly mediated by artificial intelligence.