E-commerce has swept across global retail, with shoppers everywhere loving the perks of online shopping. As this shift has unfolded, countless trends have emerged — some have faded fast, while others have taken hold and grown. For any business in the online space, it’s crucial to stay in the loop, especially with the trends that are gaining momentum. To make it easier, we at IXEN Interactive have rounded up eight key e-commerce trends that are currently making waves. The aim? To help you pick the right ones, so your e-commerce business can grow alongside advancing technology and shifting customer expectations.
1. Live Shopping
Live shopping, or livestream shopping, has become a major marketing hit across Asia in recent years. By merging the interactive experience of livestreams with e-commerce, this trend bridges the observable gap between physical shopping and online shopping. Customers can explore products through live demos, ask questions and get answers in real-time, and make instant purchases. The real game-changer is the hosts — whether they’re experts, influencers, or even the entrepreneurs themselves — who know how to keep viewers hooked and engaged.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
It’s no secret that artificial intelligence plays a big role in e-commerce these days, but from the consumer’s perspective, it’s not always obvious. So, where’s AI making its mark? One of the biggest impacts is in enhancing the customer experience through personalisation that offers tailored recommendations and chatbots that provide instant support. On the retailer’s side, AI is helping brands automate tasks like inventory management and demand forecasting — critical tools for knowing when and how much stock to have on hand.
3. Augmented Reality (AR)
Like live shopping, augmented reality offers the next best thing to in-store shopping, but it goes a step further by shifting you from a viewer to an active and independent shopper. Imagine virtually trying on clothes, visualising how furniture looks in your space, or even testing out makeup shades from your couch (without needing to wipe it off!). This immersive technology gets rid of the guesswork of wondering how products look on you or fit in your home, helping inform confident purchasing decisions. Maybe part of its success lies in how it brings a touch of the distant future into our everyday shopping, validated by some one-third of shoppers in the US who use AR-powered technologies when making purchases online.
4. Subscription Models
Subscription programmes are all about giving consumers the convenience of regular, automated deliveries of their favourite products. They’re the ultimate in customer loyalty — offering what people want or need with added convenience and cost savings. While services like Spotify, Netflix and Disney+ often come to mind, the subscription model is also making an impact in the likes of areas like skincare, fashion, snacks and more.
5. Voice Search
Voice-enabled search takes hassle-free shopping to the next level, letting consumers search for products and reorder necessities just by speaking. It’s exactly what it sounds like — using voice commands through assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri to handle searches and transactions. This innovative tech uses automatic speech recognition (ASR) to turn spoken words into text. With over 50% of the worldwide population using voice search everyday, now’s a good time for business owners to start thinking about how to optimise their e-commerce sites for voice commands.
6. Visual Search
Just like voice search, visual search might be on its way to shaking things up. Instead of typing out a query, users can upload an image to find the products they’re looking for. Commonly referred to as visual shopping, this feature eliminates the additional steps needed to locate a specific product for mobile users. Admittedly, it’s still gaining traction, but is already proving to be useful in industries like fashion, home decor and electronics.
7. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)
No one likes the stress of being short on cash when a big-ticket purchase is due. That’s where Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) comes in — a flexible financing option that lets you buy items now and pay for them in manageable instalments over time, with little or no interest. While initially polarising, BNPL has gained popularity because it gives people more freedom with their cash flow, provided they exercise adequate financial discipline. For brands, it’s a win too, as it smooths out the checkout process and boosts purchasing power by spreading out the costs. The global transaction value of BNPL in e-commerce is expected to reach USD 565.8 billion, according to a Statista report.
8. Social Commerce
Social media transformed how we see the world in the early 2000s, and now it’s also changing the game for shopping. What started as platforms for connecting with others and sharing ideas has extended into sites where buying and selling can take place. Today, social media giants like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok serve as both promotional tools and online marketplaces, letting businesses and customers interact directly — including through livestream shopping. You might be surprised to learn that around 43% of Gen Zers start their online product searches on TikTok — a trend that the TikTok Shop, which launched in September 2023, is taking full advantage of.
Final Thoughts
As e-commerce continues to evolve, these trends are steadily reshaping how businesses and consumers communicate and benefit from each other. By tapping into live shopping, AI, AR, social commerce and more, you can set your brand apart and meet today’s customers where they’re at. Embracing these innovations with an open mind helps to ensure your business not only keeps up but also thrives in the ever-changing retail landscape. It’s all about blending these new strategies into your approach to enhance the shopping experience and drive your success as an e-commerce business owner in the 21st century.
See how IXEN Interactive can help you make the most of these trends to future-proof your business and unlock exclusive growth opportunities. Contact us today.
