There’s no question that technology, especially AI, will become a stronger force in the ecommerce scene next year. The actual—and more important—question is: How fast can you adapt your business to the inevitable changes?
But before you answer this question, take a look at some future-proofing pointers we prepared for you today.
- AI guidelines in 2025 📑
- Your biggest year yet 🎉
- AI strategies to ditch next year 🙅
BIG IDEA
Contrary to skepticism a few years back, ecommerce isn't hitting the brakes anytime soon; it’s only getting better. The marketplace has grown dramatically, and AI is the force behind today’s faster, smarter, and more engaging online shopping.
🌊 To get you on board this wave to success, StartUs Insights highlighted AI-powered ecommerce trends to adopt in 2025:
AI + Ecommerce
- Personalized product recommendations. AI uses collaborative filtering, content-based filtering, and real-time behavior data to put just the right items in front of customers.
- Customer service automation. No one likes waiting long to get answers. Hence, AI-powered customer service is the answer to this predicament. 💬
- AI chatbots handle everything 24/7, from tracking orders to processing returns.
- Voice assistants like Alexa take it further by enabling hands-free shopping.
- Dynamic pricing.Pricing that adjusts to real-time conditions is the future of competitive ecommerce.
- AI analyzes competitor prices, market trends, and inventory to adjust prices in real time.
- AI-driven inventory management. Keeping just the right amount of stock is key to achieving profitability and customer satisfaction.
- AI predicts demand based on historical sales, trends, and external factors.
- Automated reordering and optimized warehouse layouts ensure efficient stocking.
- Visual search and personalized discovery. Nowadays, shoppers can find exactly what they’re looking for just by snapping a picture. 📸
- Visual search tools use AI-driven image recognition to match photos with similar products.
- Augmented reality (AR) tools like virtual fitting rooms and digital showrooms offer a try-before-you-buy experience.
- Supply chain optimization. From efficient routes to predictive planning, AI keeps goods moving smoothly.
- AI optimizes delivery routes by analyzing real-time traffic and weather.
- Fraud detection. AI detects anomalies that could indicate fraud by analyzing transaction patterns and user behavior.
- Customer analytics. Getting to know your customers better means giving them a shopping experience they’ll love.
- AI segments customers based on behaviors, like browsing and purchase history, tailoring marketing efforts for greater impact.
- Predictive analytics identifies high-value customers to help you allocate resources effectively and drive long-term growth and loyalty.
- Marketing optimization. Delivering the right message at the right time is the key to maximizing your marketing impact.
- AI personalizes ads and marketing emails based on customer interests and habits.
- AI refines campaigns in real time to ensure the most relevant, impactful messages reach the audience.
- Returns and refund management. Easier and faster returns keep customers happy and save businesses money. 📦
- AI analyzes return data to understand trends and prevent unnecessary returns or fraud.
- AI-powered reverse logistics optimizes the return process, reducing handling costs and improving recovery rates.
📅 The year ahead
As we roll into 2025, one thing’s clear: AI is transforming ecommerce in ways we’re just beginning to explore. Until then, keep innovating, keep learning, and take one solid AI-driven step at a time.
TOGETHER WITH WALMART MARKETPLACE
How to make 2025 your biggest year yet
Make 2025 your biggest year ever by launching your business on Walmart Marketplace.
With the holiday shopping season underway, millions of loyal Walmart customers are already on Walmart.com looking to fulfill their gift lists.
Unlike other platforms, Walmart Marketplace offers:
- $0 monthly or setup fees;
- Powerful, easy-to-use ecommerce solutions designed for growth; and
- Walmart’s unique omnichannel advantage
To get your products within reach of motivated peak-season shoppers, create your account today.
BITES OF THE WEEK
- Thriving with AI: Business strategies in 2025 will be shaped by AI and new tech.
- Trending Tomorrow: Here are the top 10 ecommerce trends that will continue next year.
- Success Tools: From startups to big tech, these are the top AI tools you can use to elevate your business.
HOT TOPIC
6 AI strategies to ditch in 2025 (and what you should use instead)
Know that feeling when you’re holding on to something a little too long? Well, some AI marketing trends are kind of like that. They served their purpose in the past, but as tech continues to evolve, it’s time to let go.
🔎 MarTech looked at 6 AI strategies that are starting to show their age and why it’s time to move on.
- Basic chatbots. Sure, they were a decent way to handle simple but repetitive customer queries, but they weren’t exactly known for being responsive or dynamic. 🤖
- What's next: AI assistants are now using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning. They not only understand what you’re saying but also why you’re saying it.
- Sentiment analysis. Yes, this feature gives you your customers’ vibe toward your brand, but it’s not exactly in-depth.
- What's next: AI is much better at understanding sentiment in a multi-dimensional way—analyzing text, images, and even videos! 📹
- Predictive analytics. This used to be based on historical data, useful for predicting your next move by looking at past actions. It worked for a while, but it wasn’t always spot-on.
- What's next: AI uses real-time and historical data to provide better insights, focusing on current behavior rather than just past purchases.
- Simple product recommendations. Product recommendations like “Customers who bought this also bought that” were once groundbreaking. But let’s be honest: they’re kind of basic now.
- What's next: AI is now looking at user intent, lifestyle shifts, and external factors like trends or seasonality to give context-aware recommendations.
- Voice search optimization. This took off a few years ago, and marketers rushed to optimize for spoken queries. It made sense at the time, but it’s not progressing now like it used to.
- What's next: The real breakthrough is voice commerce, which lets people use voice assistants to make purchases and manage services. 🗣️
- Basic demographic segmentation. Early AI models relied heavily on basic demographics like age and location for customer segmentation. While it helped with targeting, it was a pretty broad brush.
- What's next: Today, AI dives deeper into psychographics and behaviors.
👋 Out with the old, in with the new
It’s clear that the AI marketing world is evolving, and holding on to outdated trends is like trying to use dial-up internet in a fiber optic world. Needless to say, it’s time to let go of the old and make room for smarter, faster, and more intuitive AI solutions.
The tech is ready—are you? 🫵
