As Agentic Commerce Emerges, Services Providers Are Rewriting Commerce Playbooks End To End

2026-02-17 · Source: Featured Blogs - Forrester · Field: Business & Management — E-commerce & Digital Commerce, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Consulting & Professional Services · Depth: Intermediate, short

Summary

Forrester announces "The Forrester Wave™: Commerce Services, Q1 2026" and an upcoming "Buyer’s Guide: Commerce Services, 2026," highlighting how commerce services providers are transforming commerce strategies through AI. A Forrester survey indicates 55% of global services decision-makers view third-party providers as strategic partners, and 43% plan to use them for agentic AI within 12 months. The report emphasizes dual optimization for human and AI agent experiences, with 12 of 21 interviewed customers implementing AI and agentic commerce use cases with their providers. It also covers AI-powered operations, noting that over two-thirds of US retail sales will still be in brick-and-mortar stores by 2030, necessitating AI for demand forecasting and inventory optimization. Modern business models are shifting towards performance-based contracts and commerce operating systems, with 10 of 21 leaders reporting quantifiable top-line lift from their providers.

Key takeaway

For Directors of AI/ML or AI Product Managers evaluating commerce strategy, you should scrutinize prospective services providers on their ability to co-create next-generation experiences. Validate their specific innovations for human and agentic commerce, their vertical expertise in AI-powered operations, and their proposed business models, focusing on performance-based contracts and commerce operating systems to drive quantifiable top-line lift.

Key insights

Commerce services providers are leveraging AI to redefine strategies for both human and agentic buyer experiences.

Principles

• Balance emotional human experiences with data-driven AI agent experiences.
• AI-powered operations enhance resilience and agility in commerce.
• Performance-based contracts are replacing traditional service models.

Method

Services providers are implementing AI and agentic commerce use cases, integrating machine learning for demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and order management, and shifting to performance-based commerce operating systems.

In practice

• Ask providers for agentic commerce roadmaps and innovation visions.
• Inquire about vertical expertise in AI-powered commerce operations.
• Evaluate if traditional SaaS models or provider-built operating systems are better.

Topics

• Agentic Commerce
• Commerce Services
• AI Operations
• Machine Learning Applications
• Digital Commerce Strategy

Best for: Director of AI/ML, AI Product Manager, Executive

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Featured Blogs - Forrester.