Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how consumers discover products and make purchasing decisions. But for retailers, the biggest disruption may be yet to come — and it extends far beyond appearing in AI-generated search results.

This was a key message delivered by Katherine Black, partner at global management consulting firm Kearney, during her keynote presentation, The Great Shopping Reallocation: How AI Will Redistribute Consumer Attention, Demand and Value,” at the Total Retail Tech event last month in Dallas. (Women in Retail Leadership Circle is the sister brand of Total Retail.)

Black challenged the audience to think beyond today’s AI applications and prepare for a future in which technology anticipates consumer needs, automates everyday tasks, and fundamentally changes how people shop.

AI Adoption is Growing, But Consumer Habits Take Time

According to research shared by Black, 74 percent of consumers have tried AI, yet only about one-third use it regularly. That distinction matters because sustained adoption, rather than experimentation, will determine the technology’s commercial impact.

“Habits are where we make money,” Black said. “They’re incredibly important and where we want to pay attention.”

Consumers increasingly recognize AI’s potential to simplify their lives, particularly when it comes to managing household responsibilities, finding value, and maintaining their health. However, there’s a significant gap between what consumers want technology to accomplish and what they’re currently experiencing.

Black identified automating routine tasks and coordinating everyday activities as particularly promising opportunities.

“There’s a whole lot of white space,” she said, noting that consumers aren’t yet receiving the full value they envision from AI.

Trust Will Determine the Pace of Agentic Commerce

While consumers are becoming more comfortable with AI, they’re not necessarily ready to surrender control of purchasing decisions. Case in point: Black’s research found that approximately 40 percent of consumers are comfortable with AI alerting them to an issue, but that figure drops to 22 percent when AI is authorized to take action on their behalf.

Adoption will likely accelerate as AI capabilities become embedded within familiar platforms rather than requiring consumers to learn entirely new technologies.

“The most rapid and pervasive adoption [of AI] are going to be driven by things that are baked into things that you already see and do,” Black said.

She encouraged retailers to watch developments from Google and Meta, particularly as AI becomes integrated into services consumers already use daily.

The Financial Stakes for Retailers Are Significant

The transition toward agentic commerce could fundamentally reshape retail profitability.

Black presented data showing that a representative grocery retailer could experience an earnings impact of up to 500 basis points in EBIT as AI-driven shopping changes purchasing behavior.

However, greater price transparency, smaller shopping baskets, increased fulfillment costs, and fees paid to AI platforms could all pressure retailers’ margins.

Black emphasized that brand loyalty will remain important. Approximately 42 percent of consumers surveyed said they would ask an AI assistant to include their preferred brand, even if it wasn’t the cheapest option.

“Build brand loyalty,” Black advised. “That’s my first takeaway.”

Furthermore, consumers generally demonstrate greater trust in brands they already shop with, particularly when those brands provide services within their areas of expertise. That speaks to the critical nature of building brand loyalty in the age of AI.

Creating Value Beyond the Transaction

Black pointed to GameChanger, the youth sports app owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods, as an example of how retailers can build deeper consumer relationships. Rather than focusing exclusively on selling merchandise, GameChanger provides families with game statistics, videos and team information. In doing so, it creates frequent engagement, builds trust among users, and develops valuable consumer insights.

Black noted that this type of service illustrates how retailers can establish differentiated relationships that aren’t dependent on AI platforms controlling product discovery. She advised identifying problems that retailers are uniquely qualified to solve and then developing services that make customers’ lives easier.

“If that’s the only thing you’re focused on with AI, you are missing out with where the world is headed,” Black cautioned, referring to discoverability.

Ultimately, retail leaders shouldn’t simply prepare for AI to change how consumers shop. According to Black, they should consider how their organizations can become more valuable in consumers’ everyday lives.

The opportunity isn’t just to be found by AI. It’s to create experiences, services and relationships that consumers actively seek out, regardless of which technology controls the transaction.