The arrival of 2025 brings new challenges, but also new opportunities for growth in the eCommerce sector. As the industry shifts gears into the new year, we’re seeing the rise and fall of both new and existing categories, platforms, and tools. To prepare for these changes, Amazon agencies (which include us, VASO Group) are striving to stay ahead of emerging trends so we can bring the best value to our clients. In today’s article, we will outline our predictions for the top 6 eCommerce trends of 2025.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. eCommerce Trends of 2025 Continue 2024’s Innovations
2. Consumer Trends in 2025: Is The Price Right?
3. Adapting to eCommerce Trends of 2025: New Year, New Seller
eCommerce Trends of 2025 Continue 2024’s Innovations
2024 was a year of innovation. Many new and exciting technologies, especially AI, were integrated into the multiple touchpoints within the eCommerce industry. Some examples include Amazon’s AI content tools that help write copy, create images and videos for Amazon sellers, to AI chatbots (like Rufus) that can recommend certain products and brands based on a user’s queries or past purchases. The increasing usage of AI on eCommerce platforms has changed the way customers look for and assess products, which means sellers must now find ways to appeal to both algorithms and human shoppers in order to gain the widest reach.
1. “Social Shopping” Rises in Popularity
The rapid introduction of features like Instagram Shop and TikTok Shop in recent years is a direct response to the consumers’ changing shopping behavior. In an age where brands can interact directly with their customers on social media platforms, more and more users are receiving information about products and services on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Snapchat. In fact, there is a growing trend of researching products on social media platforms: Jungle Scout’s Consumer Trends report for Q2 2024 reported that almost 50% of shoppers surveyed started their searches on social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram.
To further capture this eCommerce traffic, social media platforms made it easy to make purchases without ever leaving their apps. Enter social shopping, which allows shoppers to buy products from the social media platform itself and streamlines the online shopping experience. According to the same consumer trends report above by Jungle Scout, the number of consumers likely to buy a product directly from a social channel increased over 20% compared to Q1 2024.

Looking at these numbers, it is clear that social shopping is here to stay, and it is only getting more popular.
2. Augmented Reality (AR) is Now a Standard Shopping Feature
Augmented reality (AR) is revolutionizing online shopping by bridging the gap between digital and physical retail experiences. Its popularity in eCommerce is growing exponentially while retailers are still struggling to adopt the technology, making this a great point of growth for eComm businesses that want to stand out from the crowd in 2025.
According to data from Threekit, 51% of smartphone users used AR features while shopping online in 2024. Through AR technology, shoppers can now virtually “try on” clothing, visualize furniture in their homes, and test cosmetics or accessories on their faces before purchase. This enhanced visualization capability has significantly reduced purchase hesitation and return rates: retailers reported up to 40% higher conversion rates and overall fewer returns for items previewed through AR.
Despite this booming growth in AR technology, 52% of retailers say they are not prepared to integrate AR into their strategy. It’s because implementing AR requires various technologies like photogrammetry and 3D modeling on top of the existing product photography. Not to mention the colossal cost commitment that is needed: sources vary on their numbers, but the approximate cost to develop an AR app is said to be anywhere from $20,000 to $300,000, depending on the scale and functionality of the app.
Despite the steep price tag, retailers and etailers alike can rest assured that there is a worthwhile return on their investment. In fact, eclipse reported that 40% of consumers are willing to pay more for a product if they can experience it through augmented reality. As such, we believe that investing in an AR solution for your brand’s catalog can be a very lucrative initiative for 2025.
3. AI-Integrated Online Shopping Gains Traction
It is clear that AI is slowly but surely becoming a ubiquitous presence in our online environment. Online shopping is no exception to that trend: AI shopping assistants are becoming more and more popular in recent years. In addition to third party solutions like ShopGuru extension from Chrome, Claros, or Buysmart.ai, key players in the eCommerce sphere like Shopify and Amazon have also rolled out their own version of smart shopping assistants such as Shop.app AI and Rufus.
Vendors and sellers who are trying to get ahead of their competition should carefully study how these AI assistants make recommendations to its users. By knowing the algorithm and its behavior, brands can make appropriate adjustments to their copy and imagery to increase visibility to their products.
4. Subscription-Based Business Models Penetrate Online Shopping
Subscription-based business models have long become the norm for the tech industry, and we’re seeing more evidence of it dominating eCommerce soon enough. More and more brands now offer the option for customers to subscribe to their products and services in order to get discounts and other benefits.
Subscriptions can be a great way to maintain and build brand loyalty, effectively increasing the lifetime value of a customer. Brands that are part of evergreen categories like food & drinks, health & beauty, or pet care can take advantage of subscription-based models like Amazon’s Subscribe & Save feature. In addition, they can even implement their own subscription on their direct-to-consumer website.
5. Mobile-First Online Shopping Become the Norm
Now that mobile phones have become an integral part of everyday life, more and more users are choosing convenience by shopping on their phones. Over the last year it’s estimated that over 70% of all online sales came from a mobile device – a number that has been increasing year-over-year since smart phones were invented.
As such, be prepared to optimize your brand’s shopping experience for mobile devices. Focus on high quality images that can be zoomed in and viewed from a smaller screen size, and engaging video assets that can be viewed both in portrait and landscape mode.
In addition to browsing for products, consumers are also integrating digital payments technology into their phones to reduce friction in their checkout experience. After all, who wants to get up from bed to grab their wallet and find their card number? The numbers don’t lie: Statista estimates that by 2026, 54% of consumers will use their digital wallet to pay for eCommerce products and services.
This rise of digital payments in the eCommerce world means platforms need to update their compatibility with this new type of payment methods. If your business is on Amazon or Walmart.com, these platforms have already incorporated digital payments into their checkout features. If you own a direct-to-consumer site, it is recommended to add compatibility with PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, CashApp, or other digital payment apps as soon as possible.
Consumer Trends in 2025: Is The Price Right?
Another noteworthy aspect to investigate when it comes to eCommerce trends of 2025 is consumer behavior. Finance-wise, priorities are shifting for consumers. Shoppers are coming into 2025 from a challenging economy of 2024. The shift in shopping priorities towards more budget-friendly options was prominent in 2024, and we predict it will only get stronger in 2025. In fact, a majority of eCommerce consumers shop this way: Jungle Scout reported in Q2 2024 that 71% of consumers rank price as the top influencing factor in their purchase.

Because buyers are more focused on needs versus wants, demand in categories like entertainment, tech, streaming, and travel will slow down, which means higher competition. If you’re in those categories, find more meaningful ways to engage with customers so they are more likely to convert. Another strategy could be to find them when they’re closer to a purchase so your marketing dollars are spent more efficiently.
On the other hand, if your business is in essential categories like food & drink or household, it might be worth it to increase your marketing budgets so you can reach more high-intent customers. Finally, a crucial recommendation for all businesses is to adjust your pricing strategy (this includes pricing, discounts, and deals) accordingly so that you can still turn a profit while attracting shoppers.
Adapting to eCommerce Trends of 2025: New Year, New Seller
With every passing year, eCommerce trends change and evolve. If you want to stand out from your competitors, you must understand the market to make good decisions. Staying in a vacuum of knowledge will only lead you further down the rabbit hole; it’s crucial to always stay informed.
As your partner in both profits and losses, we at VASO Group are committed to be a guiding hand for your business. We are constantly finding new ways to innovate and create value for your business, and we do so by expanding our knowledge of the eCommerce world every day. Our team of dedicated experts are well-versed in account management, advertising, and content, and we are ready to help you master the new year. Reach out for a conversation today.
Let’s grow your business together.