Agentic commerce was the topic everyone wanted at Shoptalk Fall. Ricardo Belmar sat down with Brandon Rael (director and retail strategist, Retail and Consumer Goods Practice) and Rupa Amin (senior director of strategy, Retail and Consumer Goods Practice) from Perficient to talk about what it takes to turn AI activity into results you can show a board.
The conversation is built on Perficient's 2026 State of the Industry report, a survey of 50 director-level and above retail and consumer leaders. Most of them can't put a number on their AI ROI. We get into the invisible lost sale in agentic commerce, why B2B buyers still want a rep, why almost half of leaders are funding AI in the wrong order, and the project Perficient named "Do Not Replace Bob."
*Stay Sharp. Be Data Driven. Harness AI.*
đź‘Ť *LIKE* this video if this changed how you think about AI ROI so you catch the next episode
*Support Our Sponsor*
*Perficient.* _State of the Industry: Retail & Consumer report_
Powered by 7,000+ advisors, engineers, and designers, Perficient implements AI-first solutions that break conventions and deliver outcomes that matter. Proudly serving clients that represent the world’s most innovative brands, and in collaboration with our powerful technology partner ecosystem, Perficient brings deep industry expertise and data-driven design to redefine how businesses run and succeed.
Insights from 50 retail and consumer decision makers in Perficient's State of the Industry: Retail & Consumer report reveal what makes the difference between the leaders and laggards responding to challenges with AI adoption, investment, and execution. In addition, the report explores how the leaders are approaching emerging trends shaping the future of retail, including agentic commerce, where AI increasingly influences how customers discover products, make decisions, and complete transactions.
Explore the research. https://go.retailrazor.com/Perficient
*The Retail Razor: Data Blades S2:E17*
*Released on October 16, 2026*
*Guest Info*
*Brandon Rael.* https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonrael/
Director, Retail and Consumer Strategy, Perficient.
Brandon Rael is a Director and Retail Strategist at Perficient and a strategic commerce and Agentic AI commercialization executive. He started his career as a merchant and planner, learning every aspect of retail from the ground up. That operator foundation makes him a different kind of advisor and has shaped everything he has accomplished since.
*Rupa Amin.* https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupaamin/
Senior Director, Retail & Consumer Strategy, Perficient.
Rupa Amin is Sr. Director of Strategy for the Retail & Consumer Goods practice at Perficient. With over 20 years in commerce spanning manufacturing, distribution, and retail, she helps retail organizations build technology strategies that connect what happens in stores, warehouses, and digital channels to measurable business outcomes.
*Chapters*
00:00 "We're Not Sure If It Helped": Retail's AI Spend Problem
00:37 64% of Retail Leaders Can't Prove Their AI ROI
03:25 Live at Shoptalk Fall: Turning AI Activity Into Results
06:08 The Invisible Lost Sale: When AI Shopping Agents Skip You
09:20 Why B2B Buyers Still Want a Sales Rep in the AI Era
13:16 Do Not Replace Bob: The Hidden Baseline Killing Your ROI
16:27 Half of Leaders Are Funding AI in the Wrong Order
20:23 Private Label Is Surging: Can AI Even Find Your Product?
23:11 Escaping Pilot Purgatory: Ownership Beats Committees
27:46 The One Thing to Do Monday Morning Before the Board Asks
31:01 Show Close
#AgenticCommerce #AIinRetail #RetailAI #AIROI #RetailTech #ShoptalkFall #DataBlades #RetailStrategy #CPG #Perficient #RicardoBelmar #CaseyGolden #BrandonRael #RupaAmin #Perficient