Prepare before agentic AI changes shopping, IGD warns food retailers and suppliers
Retailers and suppliers must act now to plan their approach to agentic AI before automated retail rewrites how people shop, according to research from IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution).
Its new report states that widespread adoption of agentic AI will transform 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,” comments 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.
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,” says Pickard. “Agentic AI won’t change everything overnight, but once shoppers trust it, convenience becomes the accelerator and habit becomes the lock‑in.”
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 says: “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.”
RTIH AI in Retail Awards
Brarista, IBM Consulting, Foundit!, Quorso, Vusion, Sensei, Reckon.ai, EE, Walkbase, Globant, Riskified, and Goddiva were among the winners at the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by VenHub Global, 3D Cloud, EdTech Innovation Hub, and Retail Technology Show.
Our 2026 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Lucy Porter.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “According to Amazon’s Andy Jassy: AI is a once in a lifetime reinvention of everything we know, and the largest technology transformation since the cloud.”
“Whether that’s overstating it or not, we're certainly seeing an increasing number of innovative, potentially game changing developments in this space across both traditional and digital retail spaces. And that is reflected in tonight's finalists, who are boosting customer experiences and tackling retailers' painpoints across the likes of physical stores, online, omnichannel, supply chain, and payments.”
“To quote one of our judges: I have to admit, judging these awards was so difficult. So many that would have been worthy winners. And great to see how AI has moved firmly into delivery mode. Firmly into delivering for customers and driving huge innovation.”
Congratulations to our 2026 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last night’s gathering.
Stay tuned for an indepth review of the awards ceremony in the next edition of RTIH magazine.
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