A new report published by Netcore shows that ecommerce brands that focused on execution tended to pull ahead of those that simply spent more on incorporating AI tools without determining how exactly those tools would deliver results. In this case, strategic execution trumped blind integration.
All in all, the report shows that agentic AI will separate those that lead from those that lag behind. Digital teams, growth leaders and ecommerce brand teams can use this report to learn what mistakes were made as retailers attempted to jump on the AI bandwagon and how the successful ones learned from those mistakes. It is highly likely that giant brands like Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) are way ahead of the curve, but the report offers insights for all players.
The findings underscore that merely allocating budget to AI technologies without a clear strategy for their application leads to wasted resources and missed opportunities. Companies that have thrived, according to the report, are those that identified specific pain points in their ecommerce operations—such as customer service, inventory management, or personalized marketing—and deployed agentic AI to address those areas directly. Agentic AI refers to systems that can act autonomously to achieve goals, learning from interactions and making decisions without human intervention.
The report also highlights common pitfalls, including over-reliance on generic AI models that do not account for unique brand contexts, and failure to integrate AI tools with existing data infrastructure. Successful implementations, conversely, involved rigorous testing, iterative improvement, and alignment with broader business objectives. For ecommerce brands, the implications are clear: those that invest in understanding how agentic AI can enhance specific functions—rather than adopting it as a blanket solution—will gain a competitive edge.
As agentic AI continues to evolve, the divide between leaders and laggards is expected to widen. The report serves as a roadmap for digital teams seeking to navigate this complex landscape. By learning from the early adopters' mistakes and focusing on execution, brands can harness the full potential of agentic AI to drive growth, improve customer experiences, and optimize operations.
