Trends

As discovery commerce accelerates, customer support expectations are collapsing into real time. New research shows delayed responses drive abandoned purchases, lost trust, and missed revenue.

eBay is moving to curb agentic commerce, blocking autonomous AI checkout while allowing approved uses as it weighs marketplace fairness, pricing integrity, and operational risk.

U.S. e-commerce orders surged 147% in 2025, but growth was uneven as the top performers pulled ahead. Shoppers clicked less, yet spent more — rewarding brands that reacted faster.

Shorter B2B buying cycles are putting pressure on sales teams to respond quickly, revealing the growing gap between modern buying behavior and legacy RFP processes.

January, known in retail circles as Returnuary, is often the cruelest month for merchants, as post-holiday returns erode margins and strain reverse logistics.

As retailers enter 2026, unified platforms, agentic AI, and automation are changing e-commerce operations, affecting personalization, payments, fulfillment, and the cost of competing at global scale.

Retailers are bracing for a predicted post-holiday surge in returns as customer service teams and back-office operations face mounting pressure from fraud, refund abuse, and rising costs.

Agentic, intent-based commerce is beginning to bypass search and browsing altogether, introducing a new competitive challenge to Chinese retail models and traditional e-commerce funnels.

As prices rise and AI tools shape product discovery, consumers increasingly trust what they can verify — rich information, user experiences, and transparent feedback — rather than the logo on the box.

As AI agents negotiate purchases and pool consumer intent, retailers face a new era of automated pricing, shifting loyalty, and competitive pressure across the e-commerce ecosystem.

E-commerce marketplaces are driving growth in refurbished and secondary tech, enabling profitable resale models that extend device life and reduce e-waste.

Consumers are rapidly adopting AI-powered shopping tools, but many retailers are slow to respond — widening the gap between product discovery behavior and retail readiness.

GenAI tools have become practical shopping aids, guiding consumers at critical decision points and helping them make faster, more confident choices about what to buy, which brand to choose, and where to find the best deals.

SMBs are pouring more into marketing but still guessing at what works. New data shows rising budgets, AI growth, and shaky confidence in results.