Akeneo expects artificial intelligence, new regulations and a shift towards circular shopping to reshape global retail over the next 18 months, and says brands that neglect product information risk losing visibility and sales.
The product information management specialist has set out a 2025-2026 commerce outlook that predicts a rapid change in how consumers discover, evaluate and buy goods. It links the change to the spread of AI agents, the growth of resale and rental models, and tighter scrutiny of cross-border trade.
Akeneo identifies product data as the central point of pressure in this transition. The company argues that retailers, brands and manufacturers will depend on accurate and consistent information as their products appear across a widening range of digital and physical channels.
AI trust gap
Romain Fouache, Chief Executive at Akeneo, said AI-driven commerce has grown quickly but now faces a challenge around consumer confidence. He pointed to initiatives such as Walmart's rollout of ChatGPT-assisted checkout as examples of how large retailers are experimenting with the technology.
Akeneo's research indicates that only 27% of shoppers who have tried an AI checkout expect to use it again. The figures suggest a sizeable trust gap as retailers expand AI into core customer journeys.
"AI doesn't drive sales unless consumers trust it," said Romain Fouache, CEO, Akeneo. "In the 2025 holiday season, successful brands were those that could help shoppers understand how AI enhances accuracy, convenience and value."
Fouache links successful AI rollouts with clear communication. He highlights the importance of explaining how AI works at the point of use and backing it with reliable information on products and services.
Third-party shift
Akeneo expects a sharp shift in purchasing behaviour during 2026. It says more than half of consumers plan to buy through third-party apps rather than through brands' own websites.
The company says this erodes the traditional model in which brands seek to funnel shoppers into owned channels. It anticipates that platforms such as Google, Amazon and ChatGPT will function as competing conversational storefronts, sitting between consumers and the brands whose products they buy.
In that environment, product information becomes a primary point of differentiation. Akeneo describes product data as a brand's "frontline salesperson" when discovery, evaluation and purchase may all take place within a third-party interface.
"A shopper may now discover, evaluate and purchase your product without ever visiting your website," said Fouache. "If your product data isn't complete and consistent, you simply won't show up."
Rise of agentic AI
The outlook also forecasts a more direct role for agentic AI in purchasing decisions. Akeneo cites data showing that around a third of US consumers are open to allowing an AI assistant to complete purchases on their behalf.
It expects a near-term scenario in which consumers describe their needs in natural language and delegate the search, comparison and ordering process to an autonomous agent. That would put structured, machine-readable product data at a premium.
Fouache warns that AI agents will only recommend brands whose product information is complete and trustworthy. He links this to how search algorithms, recommendation engines and compliance checks interpret and surface product listings.
Regulation and circularity
Akeneo also highlights regulatory changes that could alter the economics of retail, particularly in cross-border trade and second-hand goods. It flags an upcoming US Supreme Court decision on customs duties as a potential turning point for import and export costs.
In Europe, the company anticipates policy changes that may relax some rules but apply tougher enforcement at the border. It says this mix of softer regulation and stricter policing could make compliant sourcing and labelling more important for brands trading across multiple markets.
Akeneo links these shifts to rising interest in circular commerce. It predicts that regulatory and cost pressures will stimulate growth in second-hand and resale markets and make buy-back schemes more attractive for both consumers and brands.
The company says circularity is becoming a strategic issue, particularly for retailers that compete with ultra-fast fashion platforms. It argues that product traceability and lifecycle data will underpin new services such as authenticated resale, repair and refurbishment.
Fouache says many brands are investing in traceability but not always translating that information into consumer-facing narratives. "In the age of AI and Digital Product Passports, transparency and storytelling matter more than ever." said Fouache.
Stores regain ground
Akeneo's outlook also suggests a rebound in physical retail. Andy Vidan, a senior leader at the company, points to more Gen Z consumers visiting malls and a wave of store openings by formerly online-only brands.
He says this could see eCommerce lose share over the 2025 holiday season, despite a widespread perception that the best discounts remain online. He links this shift to customer dissatisfaction when online purchases do not match expectations, which then drives high return rates around major digital sales events.
Vidan argues that better product data is central to addressing those returns. He says shoppers form expectations based on descriptions, images and attributes across multiple channels, and that discrepancies feed mistrust in both retailers and the AI systems that present products.
He also cautions on the current AI funding cycle. Akeneo counts more than 1,300 AI startups with valuations above USD $100 million and describes much of that market as speculative. Vidan nevertheless expects that any consolidation will leave a more durable infrastructure layer for the next phase of innovation.
Despite the range of trends, Akeneo's leadership maintains that a single factor underpins future competitiveness: unified and trustworthy product information. The company expects this data to sit behind AI recommendations, Digital Product Passports, social commerce integrations and omnichannel retail systems as the next wave of retail change gathers pace.