AI agents are about to shop for you — autonomously. But Europe’s retailers are caught in a paradox that could cost them the next digital frontier.
A new model is reshaping e-commerce: instead of browsing and comparing yourself, you tell an AI what you need and it shops, evaluates, and buys on your behalf. This is agentic commerce — and it’s moving fast.
“Retailers no longer compete primarily for human attention — but for algorithmic selection by AI.”
Pascal Beij, CCO, Unzer Group
Many European merchants are already building the required infrastructure: machine-readable catalogues, agent-compatible APIs, tokenized payments. The problem? Platforms enabling in-chat purchases — like ChatGPT or Gemini storefronts — remain US-only, blocked by regulatory complexity around data and consumer protection.
“Technically prepared retailers have built the infrastructure — but must wait for the ecosystem to catch up.”
Pascal Beij, CCO, Unzer Group
The stakes go beyond convenience: are AI platforms becoming the next great gatekeepers of commerce? Europe’s window to shape the rules — not just accept them — is narrowing.
