Walk through a mall in Singapore, browse Flipkart in Mumbai, or scroll through TikTok Shop in Indonesia, and one thing becomes clear: the way consumers in Asia Pacific discover and buy products is changing faster than anywhere else in the world. Mobile-first shoppers are navigating seamlessly between offline stores, e-commerce platforms, and social media marketplaces. Add in the rise of super apps, and the shopping journey has never been more dynamic.
Against this backdrop, artificial intelligence is no longer just a back-end tool. It is moving to the forefront as an autonomous agent that fundamentally reshapes how consumers make decisions. What began as simple recommendation engines has evolved into agentic systems that can anticipate needs, compare options, and even complete purchases on behalf of the shopper.
For brands in APAC, this shift is more than a technological upgrade, it’s a strategic inflection point. With the region’s consumers being early adopters of innovations, agentic AI will embed itself into the shopping journey across APAC markets more quickly than in many other regions. The question is not whether it will transform commerce here, but how quickly brands can adapt, and how ready they are to influence the AI agents that increasingly act as the gatekeepers of discovery.
From Assistants to Agents: A Commerce Evolution
Traditional ad targeting is a largely reactive process that relies on collecting and analysing vast amounts of consumer data, including online activities, search history, and cookies. This data then allows brands to create detailed profiles and audience segments, based on algorithms. In contrast, agentic AI presents a more proactive, one-on-one approach. The agents do a whole lot more than they just suggest; they interpret shopper intent and then overlay it with real-time data like stock, pricing and availability. Instead of using broad segments for recommendations, an autonomous agent can directly interact with an individual consumer.
This evolution is particularly relevant in Southeast Asia, where regional retail powerhouses dominate e-commerce. Consumers here are highly engaged during major shopping events like “Double Day” and “Singles’ Day” sales, where purchase decisions happen in seconds.
In markets like India, where shoppers compare across multiple apps, or in Australia and Singapore, where expectations for service and precision are high, the value of agents that can handle complexity on behalf of consumers will be enormous.
Building Trust in the Age of Agentic Commerce
A future-proof ecosystem is essential for brands and retailers to confidently participate in the new era of agentic commerce. This entails building data that is real-time, structured and managed with transparency and control. Product and shopper data must be continuously updated with accurate attributes and availability, organised for precision, and governed responsibly to ensure a seamless and trustworthy customer experience.
Nowhere is this more important than in APAC markets with strong regulatory and consumer expectations around privacy. In Australia for example, given its strong legal frameworks and high consumer awareness, it is paramount that data is only accessible to authorised AI agents and platforms under clearly defined partner terms. This strict approach to data governance is essential for fostering confidence and enabling a secure digital commerce environment.
Retailers and marketplaces also remain critical in validating quality and curating trends. Consumers
in some markets still value trusted retailers to guide their choices, while in Southeast Asia and India, social proof from reviews, influencers, and live sellers remains integral. The credibility of human curation, combined with AI-driven efficiency, is what will drive trust in agentic commerce.
Navigating Retail Media in the Agentic Era
Retail media is at the front line of this transformation. Across APAC, it is no longer just about searching ads or sponsored placements on category pages. Shoppers are shifting to conversational, AI-powered discovery that takes them from intent to purchase in just a few exchanges. Sponsored products are increasingly woven into these agent-led journeys, while product detail pages are becoming hubs for cross-sell and upsell.
This trend of AI-enhanced discovery is particularly critical during festive periods, such as Ramadan, Chinese New Year, and Christmas. Retailers that use agentic AI with their first-party data – including loyalty, purchase, and review information – can deliver personalised experiences and tailor product recommendations to seasonal preferences and cultural moments.
At the same time, the line between ads and organic content is blurring. Retailers are moving away from siloed systems for recommendations versus paid placements. Instead, a single optimisation logic is emerging across both, ensuring experiences feel seamless and relevant.
A new era of personalised commerce
AI is redefining personalised advertising in e-commerce and retail media, ushering in agentic commerce where AI acts as an autonomous partner for the consumer. As shoppers shift from static search to conversational AI assistants, brands must adapt by making their product data real-time and accessible to these agents. The future of commerce belongs to those who seamlessly integrate organic and paid content, optimising not just for human shoppers, but also for the AI bots increasingly influencing purchasing decisions.
Legal Disclaimer: The Editor provides this news content "as is," without any warranty of any kind. We disclaim all responsibility and liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. For any complaints or copyright concerns regarding this article, please contact the author mentioned above.
