Will AI replace Online Merchants?

Many of your tasks are within reach of AI. The role will change, so it pays to act now.

Task exposure to today's AI

54/100

High exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Online Merchants?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 54% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods. The parts that stay human include: Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.; Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site.; Order or purchase merchandise to maintain optimal inventory levels..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods. 75%

Compose descriptions of merchandise for posting to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.AI already used 72%

Promote products in online communities through weblog or discussion-forum postings, e-mail marketing programs, or online advertising.AI already used 72%

Order or purchase merchandise to maintain optimal inventory levels. 38%

Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors. 33%

Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site. 23%

+ 28 more tasks (53% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.
Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site.
Order or purchase merchandise to maintain optimal inventory levels.

AI tools to try

Excel / Sheets with Copilot or GeminiChatGPT / Claude for analysis and draftingAI document extraction (invoices, contracts, forms)

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Automate the routine

AI for data entry, extraction and reconciliation.
Formulas, pivot tables and checks written with AI.
Standard emails and documents from templates.

Project

Use AI to draft 20 product listing descriptions and a reply template set for your 10 most common customer questions, then measure minutes saved per listing and per email.

Phase 2

Analysis and advice

Forecasts and variance analysis with AI, checked against the source.
Plain-language summaries of numbers for managers or clients.
Research rules and regulations with AI, then verify in the original.

Project

Build an AI-assisted 12-week sales forecast per SKU from your order exports, compare it to actual sales and write a one-page plain-language restock plan.

Phase 3

Process owner

Map and automate a full process with no-code tools (Make, Zapier, Power Automate).
Data quality, controls and audit trails for AI-assisted work.
Turn saved time into higher-value advisory work.

Project

Map and automate your order-to-shipping-label flow with a no-code tool, adding an error log and address-check step, and track exceptions over 2 weeks.

Take the free 11-question test