Agentic commerce continues to spark tension across the industry. Today, I’m diving straight into one of the biggest debates: whether Amazon’s refusal to embrace open agent interoperability means agentic shopping is doomed. This conversation was inspired by ad industry analyst Eric Seufert, whose skepticism about agentic commerce I genuinely value. But as I explain, there are several key assumptions baked into his argument I simply don’t buy.

I break down why Amazon’s structural advantages don’t automatically translate to veto power over agentic commerce, why grocery is the actual battleground to watch, why Walmart and other retailers hold more leverage than expected, and how interoperability economics make an agent-driven future increasingly inevitable. Most importantly, I share why retailers shouldn’t play a game of chicken with Amazon.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] Why Eric Seufert’s skepticism about agentic commerce is healthy.
[01:30] Breaking down Amazon’s structural advantages and the Rufus effect.
[03:36] The flaw in assuming agentic commerce requires Amazon’s participation.
[06:30] Why grocery — not general ecommerce — is the true agentic battleground.
[08:30] The signal that Amazon already sees lower-funnel risk ahead.
[10:46] Interoperability economics and why most retailers want agents to thrive.
[12:26] Why Amazon isn’t the only car in the agentic commerce “game of chicken.”

Links & Resources

Eric Seufert threw down the gauntlet against agentic shopping a couple of months ago in his essay Agentic Commerce is a Mirage
Recently, Eric revisited one of those arguments on LinkedIn: Amazon as gatekeeper
Follow Eric Seufert on LinkedIn
Read my related articles:
- Unfiltered Thoughts From Unboxed
- Have Retailers Lost Discovery to AI for Good?
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Why Amazon Can’t Stop Agentic Commerce — And Why Other Retailers Must Lean In

Retail Media Breakfast Club

Why Amazon Can’t Stop Agentic Commerce — And Why Other Retailers Must Lean In