By 2030, Christmas online retail sales are projected to surpass £7 billion per week, with around £550 million driven by AI shopping agents, according to SAS’s analysis of ONS retail data. Major payment platforms like Mastercard and PayPal are leveraging agentic AI to enhance customer interactions, identifying when to intervene, flagging fraudulent transactions, and resolving payment issues autonomously. As online shopping continues to thrive, with last December’s sales reaching £2.4 billion per week, AI’s influence is expected to represent 7% of online purchases. The e-commerce market is anticipated to grow by 22% CAGR by 2030, potentially increasing festive spending to £7.9 billion weekly. Over 90% of retail decision-makers are exploring AI for operational efficiency, streamlining processes such as product search and checkout. Dr. Iain Brown from SAS emphasizes that AI agents enhance personalization and efficiency, significantly improving customer experiences during the busy holiday season and beyond.
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