Publisher: Supermarket News
Published: September 4, 2026
Source: Read at Supermarket News (https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-technology/how-ai-agents-are-changing-the-grocery-basket)
Category: Food Access
Accenture's latest Consumer Pulse Research found that 57% of consumers are weekly AI users, and 64% of those users say AI makes them feel seen, heard and understood. In grocery, 68% of consumers say they are comfortable with AI agents handling commerce-related tasks, while nearly one-third would let an agent make the final purchasing decision before payment. Sixty-one percent of shoppers want an AI agent to shop across multiple grocery stores, which could fragment baskets as agents compare price and availability. The article says retailers will need accurate product, price, promotion, inventory and fulfillment data so AI agents can find and choose them, while 34% of grocery consumers still want to stay involved in at least one part of the shopping journey.
Why this matters: Independent grocers may need to make their products, prices, promotions and inventory easy for outside AI agents to find and compare. Stores can also protect loyalty by keeping the human parts of shopping that customers value.
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