In the coming years, AI-powered shopping agents may begin making purchasing decisions on behalf of consumers, according to a logistics trends report by Posti, the parent company of SmartPosti.
As many as 53% of logistics decision-makers across the Nordics and Baltics believe that AI-powered shopping agents will become a natural part of e-commerce within the next five years. The survey included 2,375 respondents from Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Artificial intelligence is already part of online shopping, but the latest report shows that AI agents are taking a significant step further. Consumers can authorise AI agents to compare and even purchase products on their behalf, based on their preferences and criteria such as delivery time, price, service reliability and environmental impact.
This shift means that logistics is moving from a background service to a competitive advantage that directly influences sales.
The study highlights particularly strong growth potential for AI-powered shopping agents in the Baltic states. Within the next three to five years, 36% of companies in Latvia and 26% in Estonia and Lithuania expect automated systems that search, compare and purchase products to become a standard part of e-commerce.
“When purchasing decisions are made by AI, a vague promise of fast delivery is no longer enough. Systems require precise and comparable data. Logistics is shifting from an invisible background service into a direct competitive advantage,” said Sander Borodkin, Head of Sales at SmartPosti.
According to Borodkin, this marks a fundamental shift for companies: online stores will no longer compete only on price and product range, but also on the quality, reliability and transparency of delivery data. While AI agents may take brand preferences into account, they cannot compensate for incomplete information. For example, if product dimensions are missing, an agent may exclude the item from consideration altogether.
As a result, clear and comprehensive product data and a seamless purchasing journey are becoming increasingly important, while visual appeal is likely to play a smaller role than before. At the same time, not all purchases will become automated, as many consumers still value browsing online stores as an experience. A high-quality user experience will therefore remain a key competitive advantage.
Shopping becomes more visual and automated
The report also highlights the rapid rise of augmented reality (AR) in e-commerce. In Finland, 36% of companies believe that the ability to virtually try products before purchasing will become standard within the next three to five years. The same is expected by 29% of companies in Latvia, 27% in Lithuania and 25% in Estonia.
“If customers can virtually try a product before making a purchase, the number of incorrect buying decisions decreases, which in turn reduces returns. This leads to lower transport volumes, reduced logistics costs and more sustainable e-commerce overall,” said Sander Borodkin.
You can find more information about the logistics trend report here.