Adyen Index 2026 Singapore Retail Report
Agentic commerce is moving from concept to reality
AI is already shaping how Singapore consumers shop but trust, identity and payment experience will determine how far it goes.
Executive Summary
Singapore retailers are navigating a mature and digitally savvy market where cashless payments have become the norm across the country. While recent global volatility has left consumers more cautious and selective, Singaporeans remain generally optimistic about the economic outlook—continuously spending on shopping, dining out, and overseas travel.
In a market that draws nearly 17 million tourists a year and ranks third globally in outbound travel spend, frictionless and secure transactions are non-negotiable. International shoppers strongly prefer paying with methods they already trust, meaning local retailers must support a wide breadth of payment options to capture the tourism dollar.
Singapore’s retail sector must adapt to fragmented purchasing journeys that zigzag between online and offline touchpoints. Offering a comprehensive mix of payment methods and seamless multi-channel convenience is no longer a nice-to-have; it is essential to eliminate friction without overcomplicating the underlying tech stack.
The Adyen Index 2026 Singapore Retail Report explores how Singapore’s enterprise retailers are adapting to these shifting dynamics. Drawing on insights from industry trends and consumer strategies, it provides a year-long outlook on multi-market purchasing habits, unified commerce, and the role of financial technology in retail success.
While cashless systems deliver near-instant, reliable transactions that reduce human error, managing transaction fees and implementation complexity requires a strategic approach. By consolidating backend complexity with a full-stack partner, retailers can streamline operations, gain a complete picture of shopping habits, and ensure technical reliability at scale across channels and markets.
Looking ahead, agentic commerce is emerging as a defining force reshaping the retail ecosystem. For Singapore retailers, staying ahead means adopting new capabilities swiftly to serve both machine-driven transactions and human needs. Retailers that partner with digitally ambitious allies to build an agentic-ready, unified payment infrastructure now will be best positioned to turn payments into a true force multiplier for growth.
- Ben Wong, General Manager, SEAHK, Adyen
Proof the shift is already underway
AI-driven commerce is already taking root across Singapore, fundamentally altering how consumers evaluate purchases and how retailers deliver value. This dual momentum highlights an industry in transition, where smart technologies are actively redefining the retail journey from discovery to checkout.
Retailers are ready – consumers are cautious
Retail readiness is high, but consumer confidence lags
While Singapore retailers are moving decisively to embrace agentic commerce, consumers remain hesitant to hand over the keys. Although businesses are technologically prepared for autonomous shopping, building trust and reassuring shoppers around control at checkout will be the ultimate test for widespread adoption.
Trust, identity and security are the gate
As AI plays a growing role in commerce, trust, identity and security become the conditions for consumer delegation
While Singapore consumers are increasingly using AI to assist their shopping, delegating actual transactions requires total confidence – with shoppers overwhelmingly prioritizing robust authentication, biometrics, and secure checkout controls over mere speed.
When payments fail, trust breaks
Payment experience becomes non-negotiable in an agentic commerce environment
When AI-assisted shopping experiences break at the point of checkout, the cost extends far beyond a single lost transaction. Friction and payment errors actively dismantle brand reputation, leaving price-sensitive and cautious consumers with little reason to return when alternative retailers are just a click away.
The operational reality for retailers
At machine speed, failure compounds
For retailers, execution failures in an automated environment do not remain isolated – they multiply instantly across the entire business operation. Operating at machine speed means a single payment performance issue triggers a costly chain reaction, driving up customer support volumes, dispute rates, and direct sales losses while straining back-office resources.
What agentic commerce demands next
Faced with margin pressures and an increasingly cautious consumer base, retailers are leveraging automation as a vital tool to lower costs and stay competitive. However, the true strategic imperative for agentic commerce is building flexible infrastructure that supports automated, AI-led journeys while protecting the direct customer relationship at every touchpoint.
Source: Adyen Index 2026 Singapore Retail Report
This survey was commissioned by Adyen and conducted by YouGov Plc online from March to April 2026. The sample comprises 1,041 Singaporean consumers aged 18 years and older, and 304 Singaporean retail employees at the senior manager level or higher working for retailers with an annual turnover of at least SGD 25 million.
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