Klarna head honcho Sebastian Siemiatkowski: AI assistants set to change the retail and e-commerce game

Retail and e-commerce are facing major disruption due to AI, according to Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Co-founder and CEO at buy now pay later big hitter Klarna.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "After 20 years in e-commerce, I´ve met them all: Zappos, Stripe, Shein, Zara, Amazon, Sephora, Nike, Zalando, Asos. Thousands of hours. Here is how AI assistants will change the game. The writing is on the wall. Perplexity launched shopping in December. Amazon is allowing you to shop on other websites. OpenAi continuously uses shopping examples in their promotion videos for ChatGPT"

He noted that, at the core e-commerce and retail can be divided in three core components: Product and brand; Curation and discovery; Infrastructure.

Siemiatkowski added: "You used to visit your local department store, where someone had curated some product for you. With e-commerce, things started changing. First e-commerce companies were infrastructure. They solved the basis. One click payments. Great logistics. Reasonable presentation and pricing. These were difficult things. Still in 2015 Levi's would sell in Germany only accepting payments with credit cards issued in Great Britain. Low conversion."

"Stripe, Adyen, Shopify, Klarna and many others have changed this. Amazon, Walmart, eBay marketplaces have changed this. Infrastructure is profitable at scale but also commoditised. This enabled next-generation of brands. Influencer brands. People with audiences, people who curate, created new brands. Or new brands just came along like Allbirds and many others, suddenly from zero to massive sales overnight helped by Facebook."

Curation is all over the place, Siemiatkowski argues. While it used to happen via Cosmopolitan magazine, or your local fashion boutique, this all changed with the arrival of the internet - review sites, social media, forums etc. With AI comes the next generation of curators, someone who can help you find, select, recommend, research products.

He said: "This is just the beginning. AI agents that can navigate the internet, complete tasks, and buy stuff, thanks to OpenAI, Claude, Microsoft, and others. Imagine an AI that doesn’t just assist you with recommendations. These agents will go directly to websites, choose sizes and colours, compare prices, check shipping fees, and even complete your checkout."

"Here’s the big shift: as customers get used to using AI agents to research and buy, they may stop visiting sites. Instead, they’ll “send” their AI to make purchases. For unique brands, this is an opportunity. If you have a one of a kind product, an AI agent will drive customers to you - no detours, no distractions. More sales with less friction."

"But for retailers who curate products from multiple brands? The story is different. AI will make upselling, cross-selling, and subtle nudges harder. Brutal price comparisons may become norm. So, what does the future hold? For businesses with strong brand identities and unique offerings, there’s huge potential here. But those relying on traditional curation or browsing experiences? They’ll need to adapt fast."

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries. 

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.

This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.

Please email our Editor, Scott Thompson, if you have any questions or need further information: scott.thompson@retailtechinnovationhub.com

Key 2025 dates

Friday, 18th July: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 22nd July: 2025 finalists revealed

Wednesday, 23rd July - Friday, 8th August: Judging days

Wednesday, 3rd September: Winners announced at the 2025 RTIH AI in Retail Awards Ceremony, to be held at The Barbican in Central London.