The 2025 AI Evolution: Predictions for the next wave of ecommerce

As we look toward 2025, it’s clear that commerce is on the verge of a major transformation, driven by cutting-edge innovations like headless platforms, AI-driven personalization, and immersive AR/VR experiences.

At the heart of this shift is the convergence of content and commerce—a strategic imperative for brands seeking to turn every digital touchpoint into a seamless transaction opportunity. This evolution is about more than just merging storytelling and selling; it’s about creating frictionless, deeply personalized experiences that meet customers where they are and guide them effortlessly from inspiration to purchase.

Delivering on this vision requires a robust technical foundation. Composable architectures are unlocking new possibilities by enabling businesses to integrate the tools, data, and systems necessary to deliver unified, omnichannel experiences. These architectures aren’t just powering personalization and seamless shopping journeys—they’re providing the backbone for game-changing innovations like conversational commerce, voice-enabled shopping, and AI-driven product discovery.

As we enter 2025, brands that embrace these trends will not only meet the growing demands of their customers but also position themselves as leaders in the next wave of commerce innovation. The future is here, and it’s reshaping the way we shop, sell, and connect.

Alongside our Sitecore partners from around the globe, we curated a list of predictions and foresights we believe our customers need to understand and prioritize as you consider your 2025 commerce strategy. Here are the top predictions designed to help you navigate the transformative landscape ahead.

Kayla Bryant, Global Marketing Director, Commerce at Sitecore

In 2025, brands will prioritize merging content and commerce strategies to turn every digital touchpoint into an opportunity for transaction. Whether through product information, digital catalogs, social media, or even vending machines, every interaction will drive sales. This shift is fueled by consumer demand for seamless, frictionless buying journeys where inspiration, product discovery, and purchase options exist across platforms.

Social media platforms like TikTok showcase this trend, blending content and commerce to guide consumers directly from discovery to purchase without leaving the platform. Though consumer-focused, this model offers a blueprint for all brands to use content—whether through influencers or educational material—to create effortless shopping experiences.

Brands can mirror this by integrating content into the sales journey, from product demos to behind-the-scenes insights, ensuring a seamless path from engagement to purchase. By learning from this approach, companies can craft frictionless experiences that meet modern consumer expectations for convenience and immediacy.

“For brands, the opportunity lies in turning content into a direct sales channel. Brands that create frictionless, personalized experiences will meet consumers’ rising expectations for convenience and immediacy,” predicts Kayla Bryant, Global Marketing Director, Commerce at Sitecore.

In 2025, whether B2B or B2C, brands will increasingly integrate content and commerce to turn every touchpoint into a revenue-driving opportunity and strengthen customer relationships.

Ola Linder, Head of Marketing at SQLI

To truly capitalize on this convergence of content and commerce, brands are turning to composable architectures which enable flexible, scalable integration of content and commerce systems.

As Ola Linder of SQLI highlights, the role of AI is in making sense of the data generated through composable architectures. Linder believes 2025 will see AI expanding beyond content creation to unlock business insights. He shares, “Next year, AI will make significant strides, especially in everyday digital tools. While content creation has been the focus, the real potential lies in AI's ability to analyze data, streamline operations, and generate business insights. Composable architectures will make this easier, unlocking endless possibilities for predictive analytics and smarter decision-making.”

In a composable environment, data from various tools and systems becomes more accessible, and AI can help generate valuable insights. This will allow businesses to predict stock levels, optimize supply chains, and better understand customer trends, creating efficiencies that drive success across the entire organization. It will also enable brands to create a foundation for unlocking additional innovations like voice-enabled commerce, AR/VR, personalization and more.

Roy Capon, Global Head of Customer Experience at Avanade

Avanade’s Roy Capon predicts that the biggest impact in 2025 will be the integration of AI across multiple facets of digital commerce. Capon envisions a world where conversational commerce thrives, with AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants taking on roles ranging from customer service to complete shopping experiences. As he explains, “Conversational commerce will continue to grow with AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants handling everything from customer service to complete shopping experiences. Voice-enabled shopping will become more mainstream, making shopping more seamless, while traditional interfaces will become adaptive, changing in real-time based on interactions.”

AI-driven visual search and augmented reality (AR) will further transform product discovery. Customers will be able to search for products using images and even try them in real-time using AR, accelerating the purchasing decision process and creating a more immersive shopping experience. Capon believes this will enhance personalization and engagement, leading to a more intelligent commerce ecosystem.

Klaus Petersen, Global CTO at Alpha Solutions
Roland Villemoes, CTO at Alpha Solutions

Voice and conversational commerce will be a game-changer for the retail landscape by 2025. Powered by AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude, consumers will increasingly turn to voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa for everything from placing orders to receiving personalized recommendations. While currently only a small percentage (2%) of customers use voice shopping, that number is set to soar as AI-driven interactions become more intuitive and trusted.

Klaus Petersen, Global CTO at Alpha Solutions, explains, “With the growing familiarity of voice-enabled assistants, people will become more comfortable interacting with bots and devices, paving the way for a surge in conversational commerce.” This shift will simplify the shopping process by eliminating the need for clicks and keyboard input, creating a faster, more frictionless experience for consumers.

Roland Villemoes, CTO at Alpha Solutions, believes the breakthrough of voice and conversational commerce will be enhanced by AI’s ability to provide hyper-personalized recommendations and professional guidance. “Voice shopping will allow customers to make purchasing decisions seamlessly, assisted by AI-driven chatbots or receiving proactive product suggestions and reorder prompts based on past purchases,” Villemoes says.

The third wave of AI will bring autonomous agents into e-commerce, streamlining customer interactions with reduced wait times and allowing businesses to focus on high-impact engagements. “The key to success lies in giving AI agents access to accurate, up-to-date customer data,” Villemoes adds. This access will enable smarter, personalized interactions that enhance the customer journey, whether through assisted selling on chatbots or real-time product suggestions.

George Haeger, Director of Technology at XCentium

While AI transforms the customer journey in B2C commerce, its potential to revolutionize B2B engagement is equally profound.

George Haeger, from XCentium envisions an exciting future for B2B commerce in 2025. Haeger foresees AI-driven solutions revolutionizing sales processes, with tools like personalized concierge services and real-time upselling becoming more prevalent. “AI will continue to transform how businesses engage with customers through more personalized sales experiences,” Haeger says. “Smarter ‘white-glove’ services will evolve into personalized, one-to-one experiences that help customers find exactly what they need.”

AI will not only enhance customer support but will also enable businesses to recommend complementary products in real-time, making the shopping experience more dynamic. Whether in B2B or B2C, AI will make buying decisions easier and more intuitive, driving sales growth and customer satisfaction.

Julia Klepitsch, Partner Marketing Manager at Americaneagle.com

To deliver the frictionless experiences customers now demand across B2C and B2C, brands must ensure consistency across every channel, leveraging omnichannel strategies to unify data and interactions.

Julia Klepitsch from Americaneagle.com predicts that omnichannel selling will be a necessity for growth in 2025. As the digital landscape evolves, she believes, “Consumers expect a seamless experience across every channel, whether it’s social media, marketplaces, or traditional ecommerce platforms.” The key to growth will be enabling customers to shop where they are most comfortable, leveraging AI for personalized experiences that enhance their journey.

Klepitsch emphasizes the growing importance of composable architectures that allow businesses to quickly adapt to new channels and optimize the shopping experience, meeting customer expectations for convenience and personalization. Unifying data across each of those channels will be what enables the seamless delivery of personalization across all of these omni-channels.

Owen Schott, Director, Commerce Enablement at Horizontal
Anne Norman, Senior Director, Digital Solutions at Horizontal

As AI-driven personalization becomes an essential expectation for consumers in 2025, brands will need to focus not only on delivering tailored experiences but also on ensuring they are rooted in context and authenticity. Anne Norman, Senior Director at Horizontal, emphasizes that "Today’s consumers expect more than just a transaction—they expect seamless, personalized experiences at every interaction. In a word: context." Understanding where customers engage, what products they’re viewing, and their purchase history is crucial for delivering the right offer at the right time.

Equally important, according to Owen Schott, Director, Commerce Enablement at Horizontal, is the need for AI experiences that are "authentic" and human-centered. Brands that can make customers feel "valued, respected, and understood" will build deeper relationships that are difficult for competitors to replicate. Transparency, data privacy, and ethical AI use will be key to fostering trust and loyalty, ensuring that personalization not only meets customer expectations but also creates an emotional connection.

By combining contextual intelligence with human-centered AI experiences, brands can deliver personalized, trustworthy journeys that not only engage but also create lasting customer relationships. Brands that prioritize trust, transparency, and customer-centric design will stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Edwin Spradley, Senior Director at Altudo
Mukesh Kumar, Technical Architect at Altudo

By 2025, smart devices and IoT-enabled gadgets will take center stage in commerce, offering ultra-personalized and hands-free shopping experiences. Edwin Spradley from Altudo envisions a future where these devices go beyond their core functions to actively participate in commerce. “Your toaster won’t just brown your bread—it might also suggest a new loaf to order while your shower debates the merits of herbal shampoo,” Spradley predicts. These devices will anticipate consumer needs, suggest relevant products, and create seamless, engaging, and even entertaining interactions that drive deeper customer engagement and loyalty.

However, as these technologies grow more integrated and influential, Mukesh Kumar of Altudo highlights the need for brands to prioritize trust and transparency in their digital experiences and AI-driven efforts. “In 2025, AI will drive hyper-personalized commerce experiences,” Kumar explains, “but as the power of AI grows, so does consumer skepticism. Brands must address concerns about how customer data is used, building trust through transparency.” The combination of smart, conversational devices and transparent, ethical AI will redefine commerce by enhancing convenience while fostering consumer confidence. Brands that embrace both innovation and accountability will not only stand out in a competitive marketplace but also build stronger, long-term relationships with their customers.

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As we approach 2025, the commerce landscape is poised for transformative change. These predictions highlight the critical trends shaping the future: AI-driven personalization, seamless omnichannel experiences, and a renewed focus on trust and transparency. Brands that embrace these innovations—and align them with customer expectations—will not only stay competitive but lead the industry forward.

The future of commerce is intelligent, connected, and deeply personal. By investing in technologies like composable architecture, conversational AI, and data-driven insights, businesses can transform challenges into opportunities. The time to act is now, as 2025 promises to usher in an era of unprecedented growth and innovation.