IGD warns industry: “Prepare now before agentic AI transforms shopping”
03 February 2026IGD warns retailers to prepare for agentic AI as autonomous shopping reshapes basket building, shopper journeys, and future retail visibility.
Retailers and suppliers must act now to plan their approach to agentic AI before automated retail rewrites how people shop, according to new research from IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution).
While the more familiar generative AI reacts to prompts to create content and answer questions, agentic AI operates autonomously, proactively planning and executing actions towards desired outcomes.
The risk of invisibility
IGD’s report, ‘Agentic AI and the future of shopping’, explains that widespread adoption of agentic AI will rewrite shopper journeys and traditional touchpoints as basket decisions are increasingly decided by algorithms, not people.
Retailers and supplier products risk becoming invisible when AI agents build baskets,
Commented Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner at IGD.
Impulse, emotion, and human discovery are redundant when it is machine visibility, not shelf visibility, that shapes choice.
Unlike other retail sectors, food and grocery shopping is highly habitual and repetitive, making it particularly suited to automation. IGD’s analysis shows that agentic AI can already:
Automate basket‑building and replenishment.
Compare prices and availability across multiple retailers.
Optimise purchases for budget, health, and sustainability goals.
Complete checkout without shopper intervention.
US leads the way
The US market is already seeing agentic AI solutions move from pilot to practice, including autonomous shopping assistants, end-to-end automated purchase flows, and personalised meal-planning agents.
AI utilisation remains low in the UK, with 3% of UK shoppers currently using AI tools for grocery shopping.
However, IGD warns that adoption could accelerate rapidly once trust is established, following a similar pattern to online grocery and in‑home delivery services.
People consistently underestimate the long‑term impact of transformative technologies,
said Pickard.
Agentic AI won’t change everything overnight, but once shoppers trust it, convenience becomes the accelerator and habit becomes the lock‑in.
A strategic crossroads for retailers and suppliers
IGD’s research has found wide variance in expert predictions on how soon agentic AI will become mainstream in the UK, with some claiming it will be mass market by the end of this year.
Pickard commented: “The uncertainty surrounds when agentic AI will change behaviours, not if. Businesses that start preparing now will help shape how intelligent shopping scales. Those who wait may find the future has already been decided without them.”
Read the full IGD report ‘Agentic AI and the future of shopping’.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Press [email protected]
Notes to editors:
All content is owned by IGD. If you use or refer to any content in this press release, please credit IGD.
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/igd/
IGD brings together stakeholders from across the food system, fostering action across on critical challenges across a broad cross section of forums. Through evidence-based insights, credible research, and thought leadership, IGD guides businesses to make informed decisions that not only benefit their operations but also contribute to the collective good of society. As a charity with a long-standing commitment to the food and grocery industry, IGD does not advocate for any single commercial interest but works towards fostering alignment on shared goals that can have a positive, lasting impact on both the industry and the communities it serves. Its neutrality and impartiality are key to its role in facilitating collaboration, whether through policy development or addressing emerging risks and opportunities. By staying connected to the changing dynamics of the world, IGD ensures that the food system remains robust and sustainable, creating tangible benefits for businesses, consumers and society.