E-commerce: CX strategies to be ready for the age of Agentic Commerce

Handling urgent requests and emergencies with traditional on-call models based on physical switchboards or manual procedures can generate delays, errors, and high costs, especially during peak periods or high-pressure situations.

The e-commerce landscape in Italy has reached structural maturity, with estimated sales of 90.6 billion euros in 2025 and steady growth of 6 percent*.

However, in 2026 we are not only witnessing an increase in volume, but a real shift in the purchasing model: the shift from B2C to B2A2C (Business-to-Agent-to-Consumer).

The Business-to-Agent-to-Consumer model marks the shift from direct business-to-consumer (B2C) contact to a system in which an autonomous AI agent serves as a decision-making intermediary.

In this paradigm, the consumer delegates complex tasks such as research, comparison , andpurchase, to their “AI butler,” who interacts with companies on the user’s behalf.

Unlike traditional chatbots with pre-packaged responses, agents in Agentic Commerce are systems capable of reasoning, planning and acting autonomously.

They can compare thousands of catalogs, evaluate reviews, optimize for predefined criteria, and complete the transaction without human intervention.

The goal is to eliminate any unnecessary steps for the user, making the AI assistant the control point of the transaction.

The shift to B2A2C radically transforms marketing. If the main interface is no longer the website but the AI agent, companies must focus on machine-readability.

In an ecosystem where 84.1 percent of the population browses daily from mobile and global marketplaces (such as Amazon and Temu) saturate the top positions, Italian companies must focus on three strategic defenses:

• strong brand. Create a preference so strong in the user’s mind that the user says to the agent, “Just buy me this specific brand.”

• Memorable shopping experiences. Aim for formats irreproducible by a bot, such as live shopping or playful experiences (gamification) in which the customer wants to actively participate.

• direct and robust relationship with their customers. Leverage first-party data (CRM, WhatsApp) to learn about the customer in ways that the external agent cannot replicate, delivering superior personalized value

*Data from Ecommerce Italy 2026 by Casaleggio Associati

Successful cases

In this complex scenario, INGO stands as a knowledge company with over 26 years of experience in customer experience (CX).

Our value lies in our ability to design the future side by side with our partners to bring innovative solutions within business processes.

Our methodology has enabled industry leaders to climb the service quality rankings in Italy.

AW LAB: sartorial and result-oriented customer care

WHO THE CUSTOMER IS

AW LAB is a benchmark in the “Led By Her” lifestyle sector, with more than 260 stores spread across Italy, Spain and Portugal. Founded in 1997 and part of the Bata Group, the brand offers sneakers, apparel and accessories collections in collaboration with the world’s leading sports brands.

NEEDS

The primary objective was the structuring of a fully dedicated Customer Care department capable of handling direct contact across multiple channels, both online and offline. The company needed a partner capable of guaranteeing a “tailor-made” service that would make the brand perceived as constantly present for the user, from the pre-purchase information phase to the management of any unforeseen post-sale issues.

SERVICE

INGO selected specialized resources with prior experience in the ecommerce sector and with the necessary language skills to preside over AW LAB’s various European markets. The team was supported by recurrent training and the implementation in 2022 of an advanced trouble ticketing platform. This tool made it possible to internalize data and monitor performance in real time, identifying critical service issues early on.

RESULTS

Thanks to this problem-solving-oriented organization, more than 80 percent of requests are resolved “one shot” within just over one business day. The effectiveness of this strategy has been confirmed by consumers: AW LAB took second place in the Italy’s Best Customer Services 2023-2024 survey in both the multi-brand and online categories, with scores of excellence in communication quality and professional competence.

This model enables companies to efficiently handle both routine and more complex requests while maintaining a high quality of service at all times.

Maxi Sport: omnichannel availability and quality

WHO THE CUSTOMER IS

Maxi Sport is a historical reality of Moda & Sport retail, active for over 35 years and present in the territory with several physical stores in Lombardy and an ecommerce that serves as a national reference point. Its business model is based on offering a personalized shopping experience at every stage of the Customer Journey

NEEDS

With strong national expansion and increasing volumes both retail and online, the internal voice channel was no longer sufficient to handle the growing number of contacts.

Maxi Sport had a strategic need to extend its service coverage to 7 days a week, expanding the hours of attendance to ensure quick and timely responses to customers from all over Italy.

SERVICE

The collaboration, active since 2012, saw the implementation of a daily voice service, which was enhanced in 2015 with the introduction of an IVR system to manage basic information (schedules, addresses, balances) and absorb traffic peaks.

INGO first-level operators are integrated into business processes: they provide details on actual availability in physical stores, manage reservations and return info, with a structured escalation procedure to point-of-sale specialists for more complex cases.

RESULTS

This approach has ensured a consistent customer experience between physical and digital, leading to customer loyalty and strengthening the brand’s reputation. Maxi Sport was awarded for the third consecutive year in the “Italy’s Best Customer Service 2025/2026” research for the multi-brand footwear category, consolidating its leading position based on service quality.

And it is in this integration that INGO‘s role lies: to transform technology, data and operational experience into concrete models of evolved Customer Operations.

Is your e-commerce ready for the challenges of the century?

Ensure continuity for your customers

In 2026, the challenge is no longer just to sell, but to be chosen by both humans and the AI agents who represent them.

INGO provides its wealth of technological and human knowledge to transform your e-commerce into a robust, state-of-the-art relational ecosystem.

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