#United States #San Francisco #AI Technology #Gladly #Agentic Commerce

Gladly Unveils Agentic Commerce

In a significant move to revolutionize the retail sector, Gladly has introduced its latest innovation: agentic commerce. This groundbreaking platform integrates conversational AI capabilities, allowing brands to manage both sales and customer service in one streamlined interaction. Gone are the days of juggling multiple bots that manage either function separately, as this new approach signals the end of the two-bot era in retail.

The Need for Change

As highlighted by Charlie Besecker, CEO of Gladly, many brands currently deploy two or more AI agents on their platforms—one for sales and another for customer service. This separation creates confusion and frustration among shoppers, who often find themselves trapped in loops of inadequacies or handed off between bots that lack context about the customer's history. Shoppers are the only ones navigating both ends of a transaction, leading to suboptimal experiences.

With agentic commerce, Gladly addresses this challenge by providing brands with an all-in-one AI solution. This new approach ensures that the same AI governs both sales inquiries and service requests, thereby improving the overall shopping experience.

A Rapidly Evolving Market

The demand for AI-driven interactions in retail has surged dramatically. According to data from Adobe Analytics, AI traffic to U.S. retail sites expanded by an impressive 393% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026. Notably, this increase correlated with a 42% higher conversion rate compared to traditional traffic methods, generating 37% more revenue per visit. A survey revealed that 39% of U.S. consumers are now using AI for shopping assistance, with 85% of them acknowledging a significantly improved shopping experience.

Practical Applications of Agentic Commerce

A case study from Balsam Hill illustrated the efficacy of Gladly's new platform, revealing that one in five shoppers who conversed with the AI about a product went on to add it to their cart within the first month of implementation. Meanwhile, resolution rates for inquiries varied impressively between 80% to 91%.

Joe Balczo, Senior Strategist for AI and Customer Experience Technology at Balsam Brands, noted the previous challenge where customers often found themselves needing assistance that straddled both sales and service functions. This frustration is now alleviated as the conversation occurs in a single, coherent stream, eliminating the confusion of needing to discern which bot to approach for specific queries.

A Customer-Centric Design

At the heart of agentic commerce is its customer-focused architecture. Unlike traditional systems that cater to individual sessions, Gladly's platform maintains a holistic view of customer interactions. When an AI responds to a question about sizing, it simultaneously acknowledges the customer's order history, thereby enabling informed and contextual answers that enhance the shopping experience.

Guaranteed Performance

Gladly markets its agentic commerce platform as subscription-based software, aligned with the performance outcomes rather than the number of agents deployed. It provides a compelling guarantee: if the AI solution does not outperform the brand's existing systems in conversion rate, resolution rate, and customer satisfaction within the first 30 days, the brand pays nothing.

About Gladly

Founded in 2014 and based in San Francisco, Gladly has emerged as a leader in the AI-driven customer experience landscape, working with notable brands such as Crate & Barrel, Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, and HOKA. The company has successfully raised over $200 million from prominent investors, including AXA Venture Partners, Riverwood Capital, Greylock, and NEA.

In conclusion, with the launch of agentic commerce, Gladly redefines customer relationships in the retail space by ensuring a unified, responsive interaction, ultimately fostering greater satisfaction and brand loyalty among consumers.