In this episode of
The CX Breakroom (EMEA), host
Kim Johal is joined by
Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economics, to explore how agentic AI is transforming the retail landscape, reshaping consumer behaviour and changing the way shoppers discover, research and purchase products.
With Black Friday and the festive shopping season approaching, retailers are facing a fundamental shift in the customer journey. As consumers increasingly turn to AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for product recommendations, price comparisons and shopping inspiration, traditional search and discovery models are being challenged.
Drawing on research from Retail Economics, Richard reveals that 40% of consumers are already using AI platforms for retail purposes, and explores what this means for brands competing for visibility in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape. From AI-powered product discovery and personalised recommendations to automated returns and conversational commerce, the discussion examines where AI is delivering real value and where the hype may be getting ahead of reality.
The conversation also explores the rise of agent-to-agent commerce, the growing importance of structured product data, and how retailers can balance emerging AI technologies with existing customer engagement channels like WhatsApp. With AI changing how consumers interact with brands, the challenge is no longer simply attracting shoppers to a website, but ensuring products and services can be discovered wherever the customer journey begins.
Whether you're leading retail strategy, customer experience or digital transformation, this episode offers practical insights into preparing for the next evolution of commerce, understanding changing consumer expectations and making smarter investments in AI.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introducing agentic commerce and the future of retail
01:13 – How AI is transforming product discovery and consumer behaviour
04:02 – Why retailers need to rethink search visibility and product data
07:17 – Who is using AI for shopping, and what are they searching for?
11:15 – Using AI to improve returns, refunds and customer experience
14:15 – Understanding the three pillars of agentic commerce
18:04 – Agent-to-agent commerce and the challenge of customer data
20:00 – WhatsApp, conversational commerce and emerging opportunities
21:19 – How AI is changing Black Friday and festive shopping
24:24 – Practical advice for retailers preparing for peak season
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Kim Johal – Host of The CX Breakroom and Senior Sales Manager at Infobip
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What is The CX Breakroom?
Welcome to The CX Breakroom, Infobip’s podcast where we step away from the slides and talk about what’s really changing in customer experience.
Each month our host, Kim Johal, sits down with industry leaders from across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to unpack the big shifts shaping the industry, from agentic AI to the realities of running modern customer engagement.
If you want real‑world conversations about everything CX, subscribe to join us in the breakroom for your monthly CX reset.