INDUSTRY RETAIL. TECH
Showcasing innovative technology in the retail sector
More than 80 % of retailers back Agentic AI to improve efficiency
Fluent Commerce, a leading provider of distributed Order Management System( OMS) software, Fluent Order Management, has released findings from its Agentic AI Survey 2025, revealing that retailers are investing heavily in AI. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they are confident Agentic AI will improve operational efficiency by the end of 2026, while 12 % said they are already seeing a strong impact from the technology.
The survey of more than 100 retail professionals, conducted at Ecommerce Expo, found that 70 % of retailers are either piloting or have partially implemented Agentic AI systems, highlighting the scale of investment across the sector. However, only 8 % have fully deployed AI across their operations and just 5 % said their AI systems are mature and optimized.
“ Retailers are clearly investing in AI, but the journey from pilot to full-scale deployment is proving more complex than expected,” said Nicola Kinsella, Chief Strategy Officer at Fluent Commerce.“ The technology is promising, but without the right foundations, such as clean data, trust and the ability to integrate with existing technologies, it’ s hard to unlock its full potential.”
When asked about the biggest challenges facing retailers in 2026, 44 % cited economic pressures, while 38 % pointed to the inability to keep pace with rapid technology change. International supply chain disruptions were also a concern for nearly one in five respondents. Despite these challenges, retailers remain cautiously optimistic. Forty-one percent said they feel positive about the retail landscape in 2026, while 15 % expressed pessimism.
AI scaling challenges
The research highlighted several barriers to scaling AI across retail operations. Ethical and regulatory concerns, along with customer trust and transparency,
Retailers are clearly investing in AI, but the journey from pilot to full-scale deployment is proving more complex than expected.
were each cited by 43 % of respondents. Data quality and integration challenges were named by 39 %, while 36 % pointed to a talent and skills gap. ROI justification and legacy system compatibility were also significant issues.
Currently, AI adoption in retail remains concentrated in a limited number of functions, primarily customer service and chatbots( 56 %) and personalized marketing( 46 %). However, retailers plan to broaden their use of AI in 2026, with 30 % intending to deploy Agentic AI in inventory management and 32 % in supply chain optimization.
Looking ahead
As retailers prepare for the end of 2025 and beyond, the findings point to a strong appetite for innovation, balanced by operational realities. While Agentic AI is viewed as important or very important to staying competitive by 88 % of respondents, many organizations are still addressing foundational implementation challenges.
“ Retailers understand that AI alone doesn’ t solve fulfillment challenges,” said Kinsella.“ But when Agentic AI can see the full operational picture, including order exceptions, processing speeds at each fulfillment location, delivery delays, location-level capacity and how often orders ship from the ideal node, it can deliver immediate efficiency gains. These same insights also support smarter in-season inventory allocation and rebalancing. With the right data and a thoughtful rollout, retailers can achieve real, measurable benefits from AI.” •
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