Each year brings new technologies, consumer behaviours and challenges that redefine how businesses sell and customers shop. In 2024, we saw the rise and adoption of AI, personalisation and augmented reality, and in 2025, these will evolve even further, shaping the future of eCommerce.

It’s not just about keeping up with trends and changes; it’s about embracing them and turning them into opportunities to drive growth. In this blog, we’ve included our predictions for 2025 and discussed how your business can leverage them to stay ahead of the curve.

We’ve also asked our community of experts, business owners and consumers to share their predictions for 2025.

The Rise of Augmented and Virtual Reality in eCommerce

Augmented and Virtual Reality have been the focus of a lot of discussion in previous years, however, particularly with eCommerce, AR and VR have begun to bridge the gap between physical and digital shopping experiences.

Now, if you’re reading this, you’re probably too old to understand the ins and outs of Roblox. Still, we’re seeing more brands using AR to sell directly to consumers on this platform. One huge one was the ‘Walmart Discovered AR Experience,’ where players can explore a Walmart store and buy products from the comfort of their bedrooms.

One you probably have used is a ‘place in your room’ function, where you can visualise furniture in your home, or ‘virtual try on’ to try on new glasses, lipstick shades or wigs. Lifelike previews can help with decision-making and increase buyer confidence.

Over 100 million people in the United States alone are projected to use AR for shopping by 2025, so if you’re not already doing it, get to it.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Customer Experience

AI has been the buzzword of 2024, and it’ll continue to be well into the future. Through active data analysis, AI can personalise every part of the user journey with tailored marketing, product recommendations or emerging trends.

AI-powered tools could adjust offers automatically, based on inventory levels or customer preferences as well as transform your customer support with AI chatbots.

One key thing to remember though, is consumers value honesty in how their data is used. So prioritise openness in this case to foster trust and keep your customers loyal.

Social Commerce: Leveraging Social Media for Direct Sales

You probably already use social media to promote your business, but optimising it to its full potential is key. Social commerce, the buying process through social platforms, is rapidly growing. In 2022 alone, global social commerce sales reached $992 billion and are expected to pass $1 trillion by 2028.

You can sell products via TikTok shop, Instagram shop, Facebook and X. It helps you reach new customers, build relationships and create shoppable experiences, and with 80% of consumers researching a product on social media pre-purchase, social has a significant influence on customer behaviour.

The Shift Towards Flexible Payment Options

Flexible payment methods, with options like ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’, Apple or Google Pay and even cryptocurrencies in some cases, have become mainstream with mobile payments in particular leading the revolution.

By offering a variety of payment methods and more convenient ways to pay, you reduce friction in the checkout process and improve conversion rates.

Subscription Models: A New Era of eCommerce

Subscription models are offering businesses a steady revenue stream with guaranteed monthly payments and fostering a deeper loyalty with their customers – a win for both parties. In 2023, the subscription market reached $38 billion, and is expected to exceed $2 trillion by 2028 – so we expect this trend to continue and grow in 2025.

Need some inspiration? Companies like Kind Snacks or Hello Fresh deliver products to customers on a weekly or monthly basis and are among the most popular in this category.

Deliver your customers consistent value and build ongoing relationships and you’re onto a winner – subscription models are a key strategy for any business looking to grow in 2025.

Sustainability: A Driving Force in Consumer Choices

80% of consumers prioritise sustainability and 68% are willing to pay more for sustainable products – it’s no longer a nice-to-have, it’s crucial in any business that wants to thrive in 2025.

The shift in behaviour forces brands to explore recyclable packaging and more ethical production processes to appeal to more consumers.

The Importance of Personalisation in Online Shopping

Personalisation is the best-kept secret when it comes to increasing sales, and we expect this to grow even more in 2025.

By leveraging data like browsing history, past purchases and preferences, sites can deliver dynamic and tailored product recommendations to each consumer. Both Asos and Zara are great examples of this, with super-personalised sites, driving higher revenue.

Again, something important to remember is all of your first-party data use will depend on building consumer trust.

The Impact of Mobile Shopping on eCommerce Trends

In 2021, mobile sales reached $360 billion, and by 2025, that figure is expected to double. With smartphones being a constant in people’s lives, mobile-first design has become crucial for modern eCommerce websites. You can no longer create a website that’s optimised for desktop and just cross your fingers that it’ll all work out on mobile, if anything, it should be a mobile-first design and then consider your desktop.

As we discussed earlier, more and more people are paying for products on their mobiles, so make sure this option is available.

The Emergence of Live Shopping Events

You can’t scroll on TikTok for more than 5 minutes without seeing someone shouting at the screen selling something, like a mini karaoke machine, clothing or a dish drainer.

This allows brands to showcase products live, speaking and interacting with the audiences, and also run flash sales to push people through the funnel even faster.

In China, $562 billion was spent through live shopping events, and it’s estimated to reach $843 billion by 2025. In the US, the spending is much lower, at only $31 billion in 2023, but that’s still three times higher than in 2021.

Live shopping combines the addiction to social media and instant gratification to create more revenue for your business.

Our Thoughts:

We asked our team what they think will be big in 2025, here’s what they predict:

AI Will Continue To Dominate

Adam, one of our Project Managers said:

“AI will continue to be shoehorned into products and services (whether it’s been asked for or not!) and this year in 2025 there will inevitably be an AI mess-up, such as Meta’s rollback on its AI users. Businesses should start looking at an AI policy and how this will be used – whether it’s employing the services of an AI chatbot, or something more niche, think carefully before handing over all responsibility to AI.”

Ad Spend Is Crucial

Adam also predicts “Ad spend will continue to be important – without it, you’ll need a serious army of users advocating for your brand and sharing content online to compensate. I don’t think anything will ever replace a friend’s recommendation. Still, ads are encroaching on every part of our lives and the increased adoption of review services is getting closer and closer.”

Politics Will Determine Everything

We asked people on LinkedIn what they thought would happen in 2025, Kris Silva shared his predictions:

“The current presidential election status will make 2025 an interesting year for the US economy. This will determine how certain US-based businesses conduct agreements with manufacturers in-house and overseas. It will also factor into how US businesses spend money on their infrastructure, from brick-and-mortar concepts to online eCommerce stores, and what is essential for their online presence.”

AI, Smart Tech & Communities

Eric Erway, VP of Product at ShipperHQ predicts:

“AI agents revolutionize commerce, automating and enhancing customer experiences. Merchants will also do more with less—optimizing spend and integrating smarter tech for efficiency. I also think communities will become a cornerstone of innovation happening at the edge”

5 key takeaways

Ryan Walker, of Dyson, predicts 5 main things in 2025: 

1. Rise of Social Commerce

“Seamless shopping experiences are redefining e-commerce, and the rise of shoppable posts, videos, and live streams will drive engagement, as retailers and brands increasingly tag products within content, facilitating instant purchases.

2. More AI-Driven Personalization

Retailers are leveraging AI to optimize dynamic pricing, smart discounts, personalized search, and hyper-targeted marketing campaigns, delivering tailored experiences that enhance customer satisfaction and conversion rates.

3. Flexibility in Payment Solutions

Consumer demand for convenience and financial flexibility continues to grow, with Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options—such as PayPal Credit and Apple Pay—becoming dominant.

4. Better Sustainability & Ethical Commerce

Brands that emphasize sustainability are gaining a competitive edge by appealing to environmentally conscious shoppers.

5. AR & VR-Powered Shopping Experiences Lead The Way

Virtual try-ons, home visualization for furniture and décor, and immersive brand experiences are becoming more widespread, reducing purchase hesitation and return rates while enhancing customer engagement.”

Future Outlook: What’s Next for eCommerce?

Whatever happens this year, there’s one certain thing – your business must be flexible and ready to adopt new strategies and technologies to keep up with the crowd and stay relevant to your audiences.

Do you agree with our predictions or have any you expect? Let us know!