Unlocking Tomorrow
A playbook that explores the power of agentic AI for consumer markets
Agentic AI is reshaping how retail and consumer goods companies operate – from discovery to fulfilment. Learn how leaders are moving from scattered pilots to enterprise-scale value.
At a glance
Retail and consumer goods face margin pressure, slowing growth and rising channel complexity – agentic AI tackles all three when applied to the right value loops.
By 2030, one in three consumers expects to buy through AI agents – shifting the model from direct-to-consumer to direct-to-agent.
The top 20% of firms already capture 74% of AI-driven returns, outperforming peers by 7.2x. Closing the gap requires foundations, ownership and workforce readiness.
Introduction
Retail and consumer goods are being reshaped by supply chain shifts, evolving consumer confidence and a widening gap between AI leaders and the rest. Agentic AI is not another technology layer – it is a catalyst for reinvention, embedding intelligence directly into operations so agents can observe, decide and act across workflows.
Developed with PwC and Microsoft leaders, Unlocking Tomorrow maps where agentic AI is creating value today, the foundations required to scale it, and the leadership priorities to move from pilots to measurable performance.
What agentic AI enables
Agentic AI is a step change from traditional AI: agents that reason, orchestrate multi-step processes and act across the enterprise. The main barrier to value is not technology – it is the redesign gap. Organisations fail when they layer AI onto fragmented, broken processes. Success requires end-to-end redesign.
"The winners will be those who treat data, governance and workforce readiness as leadership priorities – not IT projects."
Microsoft co authorTitle, MicrosoftEnterprise value across the consumer value chain
Value is unlocked by moving from siloed use cases to Enterprise Value Loops – coordinated workflows that connect disconnected activities. The playbook maps eight loops where agentic AI is already creating impact:
Idea to Launch – compressing product lifecycles through AI-powered trend sensing and design.
Attract to Convert – shifting from visual shelf competition to machine-readable data and generative engine optimisation.
Plan to Promise – improving forecast precision and inventory accuracy through real-time demand sensing.
Trade to Profit – optimising pricing and promotions through closed-loop feedback.
Channel to Operate – coordinating execution across stores, digital and wholesale.
Order to Fulfil – predictive orchestration of supply chains.
Invoice to Payment – automating high-volume, repeatable back-office transactions.
Issue to Resolution – transforming customer service from a cost centre into a proactive retention engine.
Building the foundations to scale
Scaling requires an agent-ready architecture of three connected layers: an experience layer where agents interact with customers, colleagues and suppliers; an orchestration layer where intent is translated into multi-step workflows, handoffs and governance; and an enterprise systems layer where worker agents execute tasks in core systems using unified, governed data.
"Agentic AI is not about doing the same things faster – it's about redesigning how consumer businesses create value from end to end."
Author nameRole, PwC BelgiumFive leadership priorities to move from pilot to performance
Portfolio review – classify initiatives as scale, redesign or stop.
Business ownership – assign every agent domain a named business owner with P&L accountability.
Data infrastructure – treat data as a first-order leadership commitment.
Production-grade deployment – launch with defined governance, monitoring and graduated autonomy based on the consequence of error.
Operating model redesign – redesign team workflows, incentives and metrics for human-agent collaboration, including the emerging Agent Boss role.
Ready to accelerate your agentic AI transformation?
Download the playbook to explore the eight Enterprise Value Loops, the agent-ready architecture and the leadership actions required to close the gap – before it becomes structural.
About the Authors
