DMALL CEO Marcus Spurrell explains what the West can learn from China’s agentic commerce
China’s retail sector is moving at a pace that can feel almost impossible to match. For global retailers watching from afar, the real lesson may not just be the technology itself, but the way that technology is built into the entire retail system from the ground up.
In this week’s Future of Convenience podcast episode, Martin Bailie, founder and CEO of MWB Advisory, and Marcus Spurrell, CEO of DMALL, explored how China’s integrated retail technology platforms are reshaping everything from store operations to customer engagement.
At the center of the discussion is a major structural difference between Chinese and Western retail technology. In many Western markets, retailers still rely on dozens of separate systems stitched together over time. In China, however, companies have increasingly built unified platforms designed to handle everything from inventory and pricing to customer engagement.
As Spurrell explained, that unified foundation makes it much easier to deploy advanced tools such as AI and agentic systems. “If you have a real-time POS, you have a single inventory visibility capability that gives you real-time data. Then, when you bring AI on top of that, you can really accelerate processes in a way that gives you competitive advantage.”
DMALL’s technology is featured in Wumart’s entry in the ‘Smartest Store in the World’ competition. In the first year of competition, twenty one entries have been received from all over the globe. Each entry features a dedicated online profile packed with insights, including photos and video, highlighting four key areas: innovation and implementation; collaboration and partnerships; digital and data enablement; and scaling and operational transformation. View Wumart and DMALL’s entry online now.
Daily operations shifts and evolves
That shift is already transforming day-to-day retail operations. One example is dynamic markdown pricing, where AI agents continuously analyze inventory levels, expiration dates and competitive pricing before adjusting prices automatically. Instead of relying on manual decisions or scheduled updates, the system runs throughout the day, responding in real time.
Another major difference is the deep integration between digital systems and the physical store environment. In DMall’s model, stores are designed to pull customers into a connected digital ecosystem through tools such as scan-and-go, smart carts and QR-based engagement throughout the store.
“The idea is that the customer and the store are part of the same digital fabric,” Spurrell said. “Customers who walk into the store should walk out being engaged digitally.”
For Bailie, the broader lesson is clear: the speed of innovation in China offers valuable insight for retailers everywhere.
“The reality is unified commerce and agentic commerce are here and here to thrive for retail,” Bailie said. “Retail has to become more agile.”
While adoption in Western markets may move more cautiously, the ideas emerging from China’s technology-driven retail ecosystem are already shaping the next chapter of convenience retail worldwide.
Be sure to subscribe to The Future of Convenience on your favorite podcast platform. New episodes are released every other Tuesday and can be found wherever you find your favorite shows.
