The retail industry is evolving its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to a stage known as 'agentic AI,' where systems analyze data, make decisions, and take action independently. AI agents are now penetrating core operational areas such as pricing, customer analysis, and talent development, fundamentally changing workflows.
According to industry sources, E-Mart has begun developing specialized AI agents for various departments, starting with an AI for predicting vegetable prices. Last June, E-Mart introduced an internal AI agent to automate tasks such as internal regulations guidance and meeting room reservations. Notably, E-Mart implemented an 'AI Fresh Markdown' system in 129 seafood and 99 deli locations, allowing the AI to learn from sales performance and shelf displays to autonomously determine optimal discount rates, thereby reducing product waste. The company plans to expand this system to the agricultural and non-perishable categories this year.
CJ Olive Young has also adopted Google's 'Gemini Enterprise' in April to create AI agents tailored to specific job functions, maximizing work efficiency. Human resources personnel use an 'Onboarding Agent' to help new employees adapt quickly, while product planners utilize a global beauty trend analysis agent to extract market data by country for planning purposes. Global business managers have improved their export readiness by quickly researching cosmetic regulations and prohibited ingredients in various countries using AI.
Department stores are also expanding their use of AI agents. Lotte Department Store collaborated with global data analytics firm Strategy last May to introduce a generative 'BI Agent,' becoming the first in the retail sector to do so. This innovation has simplified the customer analysis process, which previously required high skill and expertise, reducing the time needed for analysis to mere seconds. A Lotte Department Store representative stated, "We are considering expanding the application of the BI agent beyond customer analysis to core areas such as product planning and marketing."
Hyundai Department Store is accelerating its 'AX (AI Transformation)' initiative by deploying AI that learns from the expertise of in-house specialists. A notable example is 'Hai,' an AI mentor officially introduced in May last year, which has learned from the experiences and insights of 139 experts across 13 job fields. Hai serves as a 'digital mentor' for new employees and those transitioning roles, enhancing organizational engagement. Additionally, various AI tools, such as a copywriter named 'Luis' for creating marketing phrases and 'Insight Labs' for analyzing customer complaints and suggesting solutions, are aiding decision-making for staff.
As AI agents demonstrate tangible business results across the retail sector, the global market supporting this trend is expected to experience explosive growth. According to market research firm Grand View Research, the global AI agent market, valued at $7.63 billion in 2025, is projected to grow at an annual rate of 49.6%, reaching $182.97 billion by 2033. IT research firm Gartner also forecasts that the adoption rate of agentic AI in enterprise software applications, which was below 1% in 2024, will soar to 33% by 2028, with at least 15% of routine business decisions being made autonomously by AI agents.
An industry insider noted, "Given the complexities of retail—from product sourcing to customer engagement—the impact of adopting agentic AI is significantly greater than in other industries. The extent to which AI is effectively utilized in operational decision-making will be a key factor determining the future competitiveness of retail companies."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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