The retail and e-commerce sectors stand at a major inflection point, one that promises to rewrite the rules of commerce as profoundly as the internet did two decades ago. For years, artificial intelligence has been an incremental force, optimizing specific tasks and enhancing existing processes. It has powered recommendation engines, automated customer service inquiries, and streamlined supply chains. However, this was merely a prelude. The current wave of AI, known as agentic AI, represents a fundamental paradigm shift,a move away from reactive tools that require human prompting and toward proactive, autonomous partners that can independently pursue goals, make decisions, and execute complex, multi-step workflows. This is the transition from automation to autonomy, and it is poised to redefine every facet of the retail value chain.