Conversational commerce has never stood still. Instead, it has consistently evolved in step with changing consumer expectations and behaviour. In the early 2000s, SMS formed the backbone of mobile customer engagement, enabling everything from balance checks to delivery notifications.
However, as smartphones took over, retailers promptly shifted their focus to apps, mobile-optimised websites and push notifications. While each phase brought richer experiences, it also introduced more complexity.
Today, we have entered a new era that is defined by intelligence. Agentic AI is profoundly reshaping the way customers interact with brands on their mobile phones.
In contrast with traditional chatbots that follow rigid scripts, agentic AI is designed to understand intent, make decisions and complete tasks autonomously. It doesn’t simply answer questions; it acts on them. And for retailers using e-commerce, this shift is unlocking a new frontier of efficiency, personalisation and commercial opportunity.
At its core, agentic AI brings a level of responsiveness and autonomy that aligns perfectly with modern customer expectations. Shoppers want immediacy. They want to message a business on WhatsApp the same way they message a friend, and they expect the conversation to lead somewhere. Whether that’s finding the right product, resolving a delivery issue, or completing a purchase, agentic AI makes this possible by handling complex interactions in real time, across the channels customers already use.
Key turning point for retailers
This evolution, from simple messaging to intelligent, conversational commerce, represents a major turning point. Retailers no longer need to rely solely on human agents to manage high-volume queries or repetitive tasks. Instead, AI can take on much of the operational load, freeing teams to focus on higher-value interactions. The result is a smoother, more consistent customer experience – one that feels personal, immediate and effortless.
This is where Halo, the agentic AI platform from CM.com, enters the picture. Designed specifically for businesses that need reliable, scalable customer engagement, Halo brings together messaging, customer data and AI-driven automation in a single unified environment. Rather than juggling multiple tools or dealing with fragmented data, retailers can manage their entire conversational ecosystem from one place.
Halo’s strength lies in its ability to operate across channels such as SMS, e-mail and especially WhatsApp, while maintaining a seamless, coherent customer journey. Conversations flow naturally, whether handled by AI or a human agent, and teams can collaborate through a shared inbox that keeps every interaction visible and manageable. For businesses that deal with large volumes of customer queries, this level of orchestration is invaluable.
Trust is another critical factor, and CM.com is among the first technology companies globally to achieve ISO 42001 certification for responsible AI development and management. In a landscape where data privacy and ethical AI practices are under increasing scrutiny, this certification gives retailers confidence that their customer interactions are being handled securely and responsibly.
Practical impact of agentic AI
The practical impact of agentic AI becomes clear when looking at how retailers are using Halo today. AI agents can guide customers through product discovery, recover abandoned carts, provide proactive delivery updates and even manage returns, all without human intervention.
These aren’t theoretical use cases. They’re live, revenue-generating journeys that businesses are deploying right now. Brands like YourSurprise (one of Europe’s largest providers of personalised gifts) rely on CM.com to deliver consistent, scalable customer interactions during peak periods when demand surges.
What makes this moment particularly significant is that agentic AI is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s already influencing customer expectations, and people are rapidly becoming accustomed to instant, intelligent responses – and they increasingly prefer conversational interactions over navigating apps or websites. Retailers who embrace this shift early will gain a clear competitive advantage, including stronger loyalty, faster resolution times and more personalised engagement.
Strategic shift that delivers meaningful outcomes
The move to smart agents is not just a technological upgrade; it’s a strategic one. It reflects a broader change in how customers want to communicate and how businesses need to respond. Agentic AI allows retailers to meet customers where they are, in the channels they prefer, with the intelligence and autonomy required to deliver meaningful outcomes.
For businesses exploring this space, the question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to do it responsibly, effectively and at scale. With Halo, CM.com offers a platform built on trust, unified data and deep expertise in global messaging. This is supported by its status as a Meta partner, which provides direct access to WhatsApp insights and best practices.
Conversational commerce is entering its most transformative phase yet. The retailers who thrive will be those who recognise that conversations are becoming the new storefront and that intelligent, autonomous agents are now essential to delivering the kind of experiences customers expect.
About CM.com
CM.com (AMS: CMCOM) is a leading European technology company with a local presence in Cape Town and Johannesburg, helping organisations globally improve customer interactions through integrated solutions for communications, marketing and AI. Founded in 1999, CM.com brings over 25 years of experience in the SaaS space. Headquartered in Breda, the Netherlands, CM.com serves customers in over 100 countries with a scalable platform to automate, personalise and reimagine customer experiences.
- The author, James Bayhack, is regional director for CM.com Africa
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