Agentic commerce is beginning to reshape how online transactions happen, with major implications for both B2C and, eventually, B2B ecommerce. While the technology is still in its infancy, its potential to change how customers interact with brands is significant.
At Fluid Commerce, we are closely monitoring developments in agentic commerce to ensure our clients, including manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers, are fully prepared to seize the opportunities this emerging technology will bring.
You can find out more about the services we offer to B2B companies, incuding customer portals, on this page.
What is agentic commerce and how does it work?
Agentic commerce is a new type of ecommerce powered by AI agents that can make purchases on behalf of users. Instead of browsing, clicking and checking out manually, customers can ask an AI, such as ChatGPT, to find, select and pay for products automatically using an integrated payment platform like Stripe.
The first public version of agentic commerce has launched via ChatGPT, allowing users to buy from Etsy retailers directly within the chat experience. At present, it only supports single-item purchases, but expansion is already underway. Well-known consumer brands such as Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx and Vuori are expected to join soon, marking an early wave of adoption.
Although Google has released its own agentic commerce feature in its AI mode feature, it hasn’t yet gained much traction compared to Chat GPT’s offering.
How is agentic commerce changing how consumers shop?
For consumers, agentic commerce removes friction from the buying process. Instead of moving between websites, adding items to a cart and completing checkout forms, a user can simply ask an AI for lists of product suggestions, which can then be purchased via instant checkout.
For example, a customer might type: “give me ideas for a wedding present gift”. The AI would then create a list of suggested products, confirm the user’s payment method via Stripe, and complete the transaction instantly.
This approach streamlines shopping into a single conversational command, a significant shift away from traditional ecommerce interfaces. As AI systems learn customer preferences, brand loyalties and pricing thresholds, purchases will become increasingly automated and personalised.
How could agentic commerce affect manufacturing, distribution and wholesale customer portals?
At present, agentic commerce is firmly focused on B2C transactions, and it’s unlikely to impact manufacturers, distributors or wholesalers in the short term. The technology doesn’t yet support key B2B features such as bulk ordering, tiered pricing, or account-based purchasing.
However, as we’ve seen with previous ecommerce innovations, what starts in B2C often filters into B2B several years later. Once agentic commerce evolves to handle the complexities of B2B transactions, it could transform how companies sell and how customers interact with online portals.
Potential benefits for traditional B2B
When agentic commerce eventually becomes viable for B2B, businesses could see:
- Smarter and faster reordering – customers could instruct an AI to “restock last month’s order” or “order 100 units of our standard component” without logging in.
- Personalised pricing and recognition – AI agents could automatically identify approved customers, passing along their account email or ID to ensure they receive custom pricing and contract terms.
- Improved efficiency – by reducing friction in routine transactions, businesses could focus more on customer relationships and less on manual sales processes.
Integrating agentic commerce with Magento and Adobe Commerce
The technology behind agentic commerce can be integrated into almost any ecommerce platform. For B2B companies, this means potential future compatibility with Magento and Adobe Commerce, which are the foundations for many customer portals in manufacturing, distribution and wholesale.
Currently, Shopify has already achieved compatibility with agentic commerce, while Adobe has yet to make an official statement. Stripe merchants are ready to adopt it immediately, though additional development work may be needed for other payment providers.
While Adobe isn’t at the forefront of agentic commerce, Fluid Commerce has the expertise to embed agentic commerce functionality into Adobe Commerce and Magento portals ourselves when the time comes.
Looking ahead
We do not expect widespread adoption of agentic commerce within traditional B2B environments for some time. However, given the rapid pace of AI innovation, we believe it’s not a question of if but when.
At Fluid Commerce, we’re tracking every development closely. When agentic commerce becomes relevant for B2B, our team will be ready to help clients act quickly, integrate effectively, and take full advantage of the growth opportunities it offers.
Need advice on a B2B customer portal?
Fluid Commerce has in the development of customer portals for wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors for many years. If you need advice about anything related to B2B ecommerce platforms and customer portals, reach out to us here and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
