Deloitte’s latest report, “The future of commerce: Agentic shopping in Asia Pacific,” reveals that the region is poised to drive two-thirds of the world’s new retail sales over the next five years. With 4.3 billion shoppers and the fastest-growing middle class, Asia Pacific is uniquely positioned to lead the development of agentic commerce, where AI plays a pivotal role in reshaping the retail landscape.
Currently, 29% of consumer businesses in Asia Pacific are adopting agentic AI, a figure expected to surge to 76% within two years. Despite this growth, only 30% of AI initiatives reach production due to implementation challenges. Vivek Sharma, Consumer Industry Leader at Deloitte Southeast Asia, emphasised the importance of strategic vision and systemic transformation, stating, “Competitive advantage will not come from technology alone, but from strategic vision and systemic transformation with trust and governance at the core.”
The report outlines six key trends in agentic AI, including hyper-personal engagement and the evolution of physical stores into intelligence-driven environments. It also highlights six imperatives for retail leaders, such as building robust data foundations and reinventing core operations for speed and autonomy.
As AI continues to reshape the retail value chain, Deloitte’s findings suggest that businesses must adapt quickly to maintain a competitive edge.
