Imagine focusing the superintelligence of AI on a specific domain, such as marketing, and then connecting it directly to your software and data. “The result is not only a marketing expert, but a marketing expert that’s connected to your systems in your business,” says Alex Pilon, Shopify developer and AI advocate. “That’s a superpower.”
That’s the power and promise of AI agents. These artificial intelligence systems can plan, make decisions, and perform tasks on their own—managing entire workflows with minimal human oversight. With market size projected to grow at 45% per year through 2034, according to Precedence Research, agentic AI can be a powerful ecommerce partner. For ecommerce companies implementing AI effectively, these systems can transform operations and help teams make faster, more informed decisions.
This guide shows how ecommerce AI agents can optimize your business operations and highlight some top AItools to consider.
What are ecommerce AI agents?
AI agents are artificial intelligence systems that function as intelligent agents or virtual assistantswith minimal human intervention. They support various business operations—from customer service to inventory management to marketing optimization.
Unlike basic AItools that need prompts, ecommerce AI agents perceive their environment (via databases you provide), interpret data (like customer behavior, sales history, and inventory), and make decisions independently to perform complex tasks.
For example, a standard large language model (LLM) can analyze current inventory data and suggest items to be restocked. But an ecommerceAI agent might go a step further, autonomously monitoring inventory, analyzing sales forecasts, and automatically restocking popular items based on guidelines you establish.
Agentic AI is a purpose-specific configuration of AI—not just “text in, text out,” according to Alex. “You have a system—or instruction—prompt that is tuned for a particular task or workflow.” Additional tools and resources (including your own company documents) allow AI agents to perform highly specialized tasks on their own.
Key benefits of AI agents
A 2025 PwC AI agent survey shows businesses are already reaping significant results from agentic AI. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents see a boost in productivity, and nearly 60% experience cost savings. Respondents also say the technology helps them make quicker decisions (55%) and enhance customer experiences (54%).
AI agents can also improve employee experience. Rather than replacing entire teams, AI agents work best alongside human agents, handling simple inquiries and repetitive tasks while escalating complex issues to their human colleagues. AI agents also improve security by continuously monitoring transactions for fraud and detecting attempted data breaches.
When to use ecommerce AI agents
- Customer service interactions
- Marketing and campaign optimization
- Dynamic pricing optimization
- Inventory management and fulfillment
Ecommerce businesses have abundant opportunities to integrate AI agents—from customer-facing functions like personalized support to operational functions like stock monitoring. Here are the most compelling use cases:
Customer service interactions
AI chatbots have already elevated customer service interactions, but AI agents expand this capability across the full ecommerce ecosystem, managing customer inquiries across multiple channels—chat windows, messaging apps, social media, and email.
With the latest advancements in natural language processing (NLP), ecommerce AI agents can deliver instant, conversational responses and personalized support 24/7, escalating complex issues to human agents when necessary.
For example, an ecommerce store using AI-powered agentic support for customer service may identify that a delivery delay is linked to supplier backlog issues by pulling tracking data and warehouse updates. It could then use the customer data and query to explain the situation to the customer. If the issue needs escalation in order to arrange for an alternative shipment, the AI agent could summarize the issue, past interactions, customer preferences, and all relevant context so a human manager can take over seamlessly. This helps enhance customer experiences, even in challenging situations, potentially shortening delays.
Tools like Shopify Inbox allow merchants to respond instantly to inquiries, set up automated greetings, and route questions to the right departments. AI can also trigger post-purchase messages, check in with customers who abandoned carts, and provide order updates—building trust and encouraging repeat business without manual input.
Rennie Wood, founder of Wood Wood Toys, considered Shopify Inbox’s AI capabilities when changing his marketing strategy. “With Shopify Inbox, we can deliver a good customer experience and answer shoppers’ questions accurately, more often and faster. If somebody reaches out with a problem, I bet eight times out of 10 we can solve it and win the sale.”
Marketing and campaign optimization
Agentic AI improves ecommerce marketing by creating self-optimizing campaigns that operate in continuous feedback loops. AI agents continuously test, learn, and adapt in real time, analyzing historical data, using predictive analytics to analyze market trends, and discovering patterns that are hard to detect manually.
Unlike traditional marketing approaches, which can be static, AI agents experiment with A/B testing, reallocate ad spending based on performance, and personalize the timing and messaging. This represents a “massive power-up,” according to Alex, and can be done without human intervention.
“AI is going to reduce the cost of entry to marketing and ad campaigns, especially if you don’t know [about] bidding strategies, landing page experiments, and conversion tracking,” he says. “Having an AI assistant that can help you understand how to get set up and avoid common pitfalls is massively helpful.”
Dynamic pricing optimization
AI agents can monitor competitor pricing, demand fluctuations, and inventory levels, then automatically adjust prices for maximum profitability while maintaining market competitiveness. They go beyond basic dynamic pricing by using micro-segmentation, personalized promotions, and data from multiple sources.
For example, an ecommerce store could deploy a dynamic pricing agent to offer personalized promotions based on previous customer engagement with the store, competitor prices, and material tariffs.
Inventory management and fulfillment
AI agents are adept at monitoring stock levels, predicting demand fluctuations, and automatically triggering reorder processes based on sales velocity and seasonal patterns. They reach far beyond the capabilities of their machine learning predecessors, pulling in data from external APIs (integrated endpoints) like social media, weather forecasts, competitor reports, and specialist predictions.
Imagine your online specialty coffee store sells a limited-edition roast that goes viral on social media. An AI agent monitoring sales can check supplier lead times, warehouse capacity, and other data to determine if you’re heading for a stockout. If so, it can automatically place an order or alert your team with recommendations to keep the online shopping flowing.
5 ecommerce AI agents
Choosing the right ecommerceAI agent depends on your unique business needs. Here are some of the top platforms building AI agents:
1. Akira AI
Akira AI offers multiple AI agents to streamline business processes, from risk management to IT service management to procurement. Its ecommerceagents provide niche services for a variety of ecommerce roles, including retail analyst, store manager, customer experience coordinator, ethical commerce officer, and retail technologist.
For example, for the ethical commerce officer solution, AI agents can act as a fair pricing analyzer or a customer rights adviser. These agents, paired with Akira AI’s more standard capabilities—including fraud detection, inventory management, and product recommendation—make the provider well-suited for small ecommerce business owners.
Pricing: Akira’s Starter plan is $15 per month for a single user. At $100 per month, the Individual plan unlocks training resources and additional free datasets. Team pricing starts at $25 per user per month.
2. TechMonk
TechMonk provides sales and support AI agent solutions focused on ecommerce optimization, including agents specialized in product recommendations, customer behavior analysis, and conversion optimization. Its integrations with major ecommerce platforms (including Shopify) make it a strong ecommerce agentic partner.
Pricing: TechMonk’s plans start at $320 per month (billed annually), although the agent-building tool isn’t available on the entry-level plan. This requires at least the second plan for $560 per month (billed annually).
3. Relevance AI
Relevance is explicitly designed for subject matter experts without technical expertise. Its low-code solutions span business development, research, sales, lifecycle marketing, and account planning. Relevance’s visual, drag-and-drop interface (augmented by friendly-looking avatars and endearing agent names) provides flexible agent creation tools and templates that let you customize an entire AI workforce—a standout choice for complex businesses with small teams.
Pricing: Single users can access a limited free version of Relevance. Its paid plans start at $17.10 per month (billed annually) for a single user. Team plans (10 users) start at $179.10 per month (billed annually).
4. Ada
Tailored to businesses with customer service and support automation needs, Ada provides conversational AI agents. The platform uses natural language processing to handle complex customer inquiries and post-purchase support across multiple channels and languages. Standout features include agent previews and insight reports that indicate areas for agent improvement.
Pricing: Contact the provider for pricing.
5. Agentforce
Salesforce’s Agentforce lets you build and customize autonomous AI agents that support employees and customers 24/7, with full integration into the Salesforce ecosystem. Agentforce offers low-code options that span customer service, employee support, coaching and training, product recommendations, and in-depth research agents.
Pricing: Agentforce offers per-user licensing (pricing available upon request), as well as per-conversation pricing (starting at $2 per conversation) and per-action pricing (starting at $500 per 100,000 credits). It is also available as an add-on to other Salesforce products.
Ecommerce AI agents FAQ
What are the five types of agents in AI?
The five types of AI agents, from least to most complex, are: simple reflex agents, model-based reflex agents, goal-based agents, utility-based agents, and learning agents.
What is the best AI sales agent?
The best AI sales agent depends on your specific business needs. For example, Akira AI is suited for small ecommerce business owners, while Agentforce may be a better fit for more complex sales operations.
What is the best AI chatbot for ecommerce?
With its standout NLP capabilities, Ada is a solid choice for ecommerce owners seeking an AI agent with chatbot tools. However, the best chatbot for your business depends on your goals, budget, and tech stack.
How can businesses pick the right AI agent?
Choose an AI agent based on primary use case, integration requirements, budget, and the level of customization needed for business processes.
How can AI agents improve an ecommerce business?
AI agents can enhance nearly every facet of ecommerce businesses, improving customer experiences, automating routine tasks, providing personalized recommendations, and analyzing metrics to boost salesand operational efficiency.
Can customers use AI agents to shop for them online?
Yes, AI agents can act as personal shopping assistants, analyzing customer preferences and making product recommendations across your digital storefront.
How much do AI agents cost?
Costs for AI agents can range significantly based on the provider and included features. Some providers offer inexpensive or even free limited plans for individuals; team plans are generally pricier. Enterprise solutions like Agentforce and Ada typically require custom pricing discussions.
