The E-commerce Evolution: Top Trends and Opportunities for Retail Marketers and Advertisers in 2025

As the new year kicks off, e-commerce marketers and advertisers begin to implement their well thought out plans and strategies. At the same time, the technology landscape is rapidly advancing. Changing consumer behaviors and expectations, introductions of tech platforms and channels, and overall evolving trends are already inspiring many to rethink their roadmaps.

Our recent e-commerce conversations with brands and retailers of all sizes have centered around top priorities at the start of the new year, including breaking through the noise, clearly articulating a competitive advantage, and using third-party validators (like data, customer quotes, or analyst ratings) to drive home benefits. Leading up to the NRF Big Show next week, we’ve distilled the top five trends and opportunities for e-commerce leaders in 2025:

1. AI-Driven Personalized Shopping Experiences Transforming Retail in 2025

Hyperpersonalized shopping experiences are expected. Gone are the days where providing relevant messaging is “creepy” and is now necessary for product discovery all the way to conversion. AI-driven product recommendations based on browsing history, dynamic creative tailored to individual customers, and retargeting to drive recall will continue to refine how retailers interact with consumers across channels. 

2. Advanced Data Analytics Reign Supreme

Data remains an e-commerce marketer’s most valuable resource. Using robust analytics tools to track customer behavior, preferences, and buying patterns is table stakes, but understanding how this data can inform targeted campaigns and product recommendations is critical for success. Ensuring marketing efforts are relevant for the intended audiences and the follow-up campaigns are strategically aligned is a make or break for earning sales and creating long-term loyalty.

3. Influencer Marketing 2.0

Influencer marketing will have a heightened focus on authenticity. Partnering with influencers who genuinely align with a brand’s values have higher engagement, especially when incorporating visually appealing and informative video content. Creating direct connections with consumers is imperative to fostering loyalty and driving incremental sales. Consumers relate to people like them – it isn’t just messaging and creativity that must be relevant, it is also the voices that deliver the messages and promote the product. 

4. Frictionless Shopping Experiences

Consumers are returning to physical stores, yet product discovery and comparison online is inevitable. For example, the customer journey can start by watching a commercial, scanning a QR code, then going to a mobile app to read reviews and descriptions. The entire process should be seamless and cohesive to move the consumer through the funnel, which then provides the retailer with integrated customer data across platforms that enables more effective personalization and retargeting.

5. Embrace Emerging Technologies

Marketers should stay informed about emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). These tools can create immersive shopping experiences, such as virtual store tours or AR-powered product previews, which creates an exciting differentiator. Yes, this is still a majorly uncharted territory, especially for traditional brands, however incorporating it in a smart, strategic way can help an e-commerce brand gain a competitive advantage. 

Our advice?

Embrace these trends and develop data-driven, customer-centric strategies to be well-positioned to thrive. Tap tools like AI and adopt omnichannel approaches to meet and exceed consumer expectations in this dynamic environment. The competition is fierce, but with a forward-thinking mindset, retail tech leaders can turn challenges into opportunities and become e-commerce leaders.

P.S. Attending NRF next week? Us, too. Drop us a line to hello@sourcecodecomms.com and we’d love to meet up!