Beyond Checkout: OTTO’s Dr. Boris Ewenstein on Agentic Commerce
AI is fundamentally transforming retail. In our interview, Dr. Boris Ewenstein from OTTO explains why AI is evolving into a new form of customer advisor, what role humans will play in the future, and how companies can prepare for agentic commerce.
From AI in commerce to agentic commerce
With its theme of “Scaling Intelligence,” DMEXCO 2026 is focusing on questions that are top of mind in the retail industry right now: How will artificial intelligence change the shopping experience of the future? And what role will agentic commerce play in this transformation?
In our interview series “Beyond Checkout: Leading Minds in Commerce,” we talk to the people who are actively shaping these developments. In this latest installment, we’re joined by Dr. Boris Ewenstein from German retail and ecommerce group OTTO to explore how AI is already influencing purchasing decisions today and why agentic commerce could be the next stage in the evolution of digital retail.
Dr. Boris Ewenstein became Chair of OTTO’s management board on March 1, 2026, with responsibility for Retail & Marketplace. Prior to that, he served as Categories Director and shaped the strategic development of the retailer’s commerce and platform business. Working closely with his team, he’s deeply involved in exploring how technology, data, and artificial intelligence are set to transform the shopping experience of the future.
In what areas has AI truly brought about structural change in the commerce business, and where has it been more of a well-intentioned experiment?
Right now, we’re seeing the enormous potential AI offers when it comes to supporting our customers. A few weeks ago, we rolled out our voice-activated AI assistant, which we developed in collaboration with Google. It helps our customers find the perfect product through natural conversation. For example, it asks intelligent follow-up questions to identify and recommend the right product based on the individual customer’s specific needs.
And it’s been very well received. A typical text-based dialogue consists of two messages. In voice mode, there are about eleven interactions on average, which shows that the conversation and follow-up questions about customers’ specific needs encourage them to engage much more deeply with our products, and ultimately help them make the right decision.
Why is it that AI has been part of OTTO’s infrastructure for so long and is no longer considered an innovation matter?
At OTTO, AI has not only been on the agenda for over twelve years, but in that time, it has also been integrated into all our value streams – from sales forecasting to personalization and customer advice. The enormous significance of AI at OTTO is also reflected in our organizational structure: We are one of the few companies that have made technology a core focus at board level. My colleague Dr. Michael Müller-Wünsch is a passionate advocate for AI and has consistently driven the topic forward, helping the various departments realize the added value of new developments. And, of course, the advent of generative AI has further reinforced our commitment to this approach.
What decisions do you still deliberately choose to make without AI?
At OTTO, we really value personal interaction – especially in leadership, discussions, and creative processes. The best solutions are still born out of conversations and the exchange of ideas – and, when necessary, a little friction can certainly help. Anything that calls for empathy, nuance, and sensitivity is something we won’t be outsourcing to AI for the foreseeable future.
That said, I’m definitely curious about how we can leverage AI to improve and challenge our critical thinking skills. The goal isn’t to outsource our thought processes, but to use the models to examine ideas and concepts even more deeply. Like a human sparring partner, AI can also offer constructive resistance that encourages us to keep questioning our approach.
In 2026, what strategic challenge related to agentic commerce keeps you awake at night?
The big issue on our minds is figuring out how customers will want to shop in the future. We’re doing everything we can to offer them ways to access our products that are right for them, whether by providing great support and advice via our AI assistant directly within our platform, through research using external models – or, one day, even using completely automated agents.
With this in mind, we’re already taking the necessary steps today, including making our systems agent-readable, improving interfaces, and structuring product data appropriately.
Agentic commerce: From search box to intelligent shopping assistant
Our interview with Dr. Boris Ewenstein highlights one of the exciting applications of AI in commerce – the opportunity to help people make purchasing decisions and provide guidance in an increasingly complex product landscape.
At the same time, human skills like creativity, judgment, and empathy remain vital. AI complements these capabilities, but it cannot replace them. Looking ahead, focus is shifting toward agentic commerce. If AI agents are to independently carry out research, compare options, and make purchases in the future, companies must prepare their systems and data accordingly.
The profound impact that agentic systems could have on retail is also explored by Deann Evans on the DMEXCO podcast. The role of agentic AI in commerce is another topic discussed by Shopify’s Managing Director, EMEA, in the conversation. And, in the episode of the podcast with Jovan Protić, the idealo CEO offers further insights into the future of AI in retail, examining the role of trust and brands in an increasingly automated shopping environment.
