Radical Retail Radar is the latest in Nexer’s ongoing retail development report series, produced in collaboration with Kairos Future and leading industry experts. The latest report focuses on a shift beyond digitalization as we know it – where AI is no longer an afterthought, but an integral part of how retail operations operate.
The report shows how the retail industry is moving away from traditional e-commerce towards what is increasingly described as agentic commerce – where AI is playing an increasingly important role throughout the customer journey, from product discovery to purchase decisions. At the same time, leading global players are integrating AI into the core of their operations, transforming everything from product development and sourcing to logistics, customer interaction and decision-making.
In parallel, the development is taking place in a situation where many Nordic companies are still in an exploratory phase. While global players are building AI into their business models, the Swedish market is still largely characterized by pilot projects and isolated initiatives.
– What is changing now is not just how we sell, but how decisions are made. As customers increasingly turn to AI to choose and compare, companies must start thinking differently about how they build relevance, trust and offers, says Sophie Bergbom, Retail Industry Partner at Nexer.
As technology matures, so does competition. When AI agents can search, compare, and choose between options in seconds, the value of visibility decreases – and the demands for relevance, accessibility, and trust increase.
Three crucial shifts shaping the retail industry right now:
1. From customer journey to decision engine
The customer journey is being fundamentally reimagined. AI agents are taking on an increasingly important role in searching, filtering, prioritizing, and in some cases, completing purchases. For businesses, this means they are no longer just communicating with customers – but also with AI proxies acting on their behalf.
2. From organization to flow
Traditional silos are challenged when data is connected in real time. Design, purchasing, logistics and sales, which were previously separate functions, now become part of a coherent, data-driven flow.
3. From streamlining to repositioning
AI is no longer used solely to streamline existing processes. Companies at the forefront are using the technology to transform how value is created – from personalization to predictive decisions and new business models.
A key finding of the report is that many organizations still view AI as a technology initiative, rather than a strategic issue, creating a growing gap between those companies that are rebuilding their businesses with AI as a foundation – and those that continue to optimize what is already there.
– Many are still trying to add AI on top of what they already have. But the real impact only comes when AI is connected to the core of the business – in data, flows and decision-making. That's when you move from isolated initiatives to actual change, says Maria Wahlgren, Retail Industry Partner and Future & AI Strategist at Nexer.
This development therefore places new demands on leadership. Waiting, or limiting AI to individual initiatives, risks quickly making the organization irrelevant in a rapidly changing landscape.
About Radical Retail
Radical Retail is a report series consisting of four editions that follows developments in retail with a focus on the future of the industry and technology. The report was produced by Nexer with the help of Kairos Future and industry experts., with the aim of highlighting the most important trends in retail and how they affect the future. The report series is intended to serve as a practical guide for retail players, thereby creating better conditions for them to navigate a changing world.
About Nexer:
Nexer Group is an international tech company with roots in Swedish entrepreneurial spirit and innovative power. Nexer has 2,450 experts in 16 countries and is part of the Danir Group, a Swedish privately owned company with 9,500 employees in 31 countries. Nexer works with some of the world's largest and most demanding companies, providing expertise in digital transformation, IT, tech and R&D.
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