From Automation to Autonomy: the Agentic AI Shift in Retail and CPG (RCPG)

Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods (RCPG) enterprises are at a critical juncture in their AI adoption journeys. With agentic AI emerging as the next frontier, organizations are moving beyond descriptive and prescriptive insights to embedding autonomous agents across the value chain. These agents leverage advanced orchestration frameworks, enable systems to sense, reason, and act with minimal human intervention. Combined with Systems of Execution (SoE), agentic AI is enabling faster decisions, reducing operational friction, and delivering real-time responsiveness in areas such as dynamic pricing, supply planning, and automated returns.

In this Viewpoint, we outline how RCPG enterprises can responsibly adopt agentic AI. It examines AI maturity stages, key enterprise implications, and build-versus-buy considerations. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing data quality, governance, and integration challenges early in the journey. Drawing on examples from leading retailers and CPG companies already deploying agentic AI at scale, the report provides a roadmap to benchmark progress, navigate barriers, and unlock tangible value.