Ecommerce in 2026: AI, Agentic Commerce and the Battle for Profitability

The new pulse of online retailSomething has shifted in the way people buy online. For years, the conversation revolved around traffic, banners and aba...

The new pulse of online retail

Something has shifted in the way people buy online. For years, the conversation revolved around traffic, banners and abandoned baskets. Today, the more interesting question is who — or what — is actually doing the buying. Across Spain, from the busy commercial streets of Barcelona to smaller operations in Lleida, Tarragona and Girona, merchants are waking up to a reality in which software agents, not just humans, browse, compare and complete purchases.

This was the central thread running through the latest edition of a major ecommerce gathering held in Alicante, which brought together brands, logistics specialists and digital directors. The message was clear: the rules of the game are being rewritten, and the businesses that adapt their online shop to this new landscape will be the ones that keep growing.

From loyal customers to autonomous agents

One of the most talked-about concepts was agentic commerce: the idea that AI agents can discover, evaluate and buy products on behalf of a consumer. Instead of a person clicking through a catalogue, an assistant is given a brief — a budget, a preference, a deadline — and it executes the purchase. In the United States, a significant share of transactions is already happening with little to no human interaction, and Europe is following closely behind.

For online shops, this creates both an opening and a threat. On the positive side, agentic commerce can become a new discovery channel, bringing high-intent traffic and reducing friction in repetitive purchases. On the negative side, brands risk becoming invisible if their product data is not structured for machines, and they risk losing control of the customer relationship if a single platform becomes the only gateway to their catalogue.

What this means for your online shop

The practical implications are less futuristic than they sound. An ecommerce site that wants to be found and chosen by AI agents needs to be built on solid foundations. That means clean product feeds, structured data, fast loading times and a checkout that does not break when it is accessed by an automated script rather than a human thumb. It also means choosing a platform that can evolve with these demands.

At ALMC we build online shops on PrestaShop and WooCommerce, two of the most flexible ecosystems available, precisely because they allow this kind of deep customisation. A well-configured PrestaShop store can expose its catalogue through APIs, integrate with marketplaces and automate stock and pricing rules. A tailored WooCommerce installation, on the other hand, gives smaller merchants the agility to test new channels without rebuilding from scratch. In both cases, the goal is the same: a shop that sells, not just one that looks good.

Profitability is the real challenge

During the Alicante discussions, one point came up again and again: growth is not the same as profitability. Many brands are selling more than ever and earning less, squeezed by logistics costs, advertising spend and marketplace commissions. AI can help here too, but only when it is applied to concrete operations rather than as a vague promise.

Examples mentioned by participants included AI agents handling Google advertising campaigns, direct API connections with large marketplaces to synchronise stock, and automation of repetitive back-office tasks. For a small or medium-sized business in Catalonia, the realistic ambition is not to replace staff but to give them leverage — to let a two-person team manage a catalogue of thousands of references without drowning in spreadsheets.

Logistics and the customer experience

Another recurring theme was the supply chain. The final delivery experience is now part of the product. Customers expect to know where their parcel is at every stage, and they expect it to arrive when promised. Investment in traceability and in convenience pickup points has become a competitive differentiator rather than a back-office detail.

For an online shop, this translates into practical decisions: which carriers to integrate, how to display delivery options at checkout, how to handle returns without destroying margins. These choices are technical, but they are also commercial. A checkout that offers a clear, reliable delivery promise converts better than one that leaves the customer guessing.

Marketplaces: opportunity with conditions

Marketplaces remain a powerful route to market, especially for brands that want visibility beyond their own domain. Speakers from fashion, footwear and wine businesses described how entering marketplaces early gave them access to audiences they could not have reached alone. But they also warned against dependency. A marketplace strategy should sit alongside a strong own-brand shop, not replace it, because the data and the customer relationship ultimately belong to the platform otherwise.

Specialisation was another lesson. Rather than trying to compete on everything, several successful brands chose a narrow niche and dominated it. That focus makes marketing cheaper, product development sharper and customer loyalty stronger.

Data protection and trust

As AI becomes more embedded in ecommerce, data handling moves to the centre of the conversation. In Spain and across the EU, GDPR compliance is not optional, and customers are increasingly aware of how their information is used. An online shop that collects data for personalisation or automated purchasing must be transparent about it, and must secure it properly. Trust is a commercial asset, and it is easily lost.

Preparing your shop for what comes next

The businesses that will thrive in the coming years are not necessarily the largest. They are the ones that treat their online shop as a living system rather than a finished project. That means:

Choosing a platform such as PrestaShop or WooCommerce that can be extended as new channels appear.
Keeping product data clean and machine-readable so AI agents can find and recommend your catalogue.
Optimising conversion at every step, from landing page to checkout, with continuous testing.
Applying automation to repetitive tasks so small teams can operate at a larger scale.
Protecting customer data and being transparent about how it is used.

None of this happens by accident. It requires a deliberate strategy and the right technical partner. Whether you are launching a first online shop or rebuilding an existing one, the foundations you lay today will determine whether you are visible — and profitable — in the agentic era of ecommerce.

Put these ideas into practice

Talk to ALMC about a solution for your business. Explore your options or contact our team.

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