11 Top Consumer Trends That Will Shape Retail in 2025

18 min read

The retail industry is undergoing a transformation, and 2025 is set to be a pivotal year. For business owners, staying informed about emerging trends is not just a nice to have—it’s a must for staying ahead of the competition.

This blog post highlights 11 key consumer trends shaping retail in 2025 and offers actionable insights to help your business thrive in this new landscape.

Supply Chain Transparency

Today’s customers want to know more than the price—they want the story behind the product. Shoppers increasingly ask questions like, “Where was this made?” and “Is it sustainable?”

According to PwC’s 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey, shoppers are willing to spend 9.7% more on sustainably sourced goods, even amid cost-of-living and inflation concerns.

Sustainability incentives have a significant impact on what people choose to buy (Source: PwC’s 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey)

Make your supply chain transparency your superpower by showcasing detailed sourcing and sustainability processes. For example, highlight the following on your website, social media, and marketing materials:

The origin of your products
Use of eco-friendly packaging
Partnerships with local suppliers
The integration of renewable energy into your production process.

Social Commerce Dominates

Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram are no longer just for marketing—they’re becoming the leading destinations for online shopping.

Seven out of ten online shoppers aged 27 to 42 worldwide are already making purchases directly through social media, according to a global survey. That makes millennials the top generation embracing social shopping. Gen Z ecommerce users (ages 18 to 26) are right behind them, with over half reporting they’ve shopped through these platforms.

TikTok lets shoppers purchase products directly from videos without leaving the app

Want to be where the consumers are? Create shoppable posts and live-stream sales to meet your audience in real time.

Running an Ecwid store comes with a significant advantage: the ability to set up shops on top social media platforms seamlessly. With Ecwid, you can sell your products on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, reaching your audience where they already spend their time.

The Resale Boom

Second-hand is having its moment—the resale market is booming! Major brands like Zara, Harley-Davidson, The North Face, and Ikea already launched platforms for pre-loved items.

Reselling isn’t just good for the environment—it can also be a profitable business opportunity. It not only attracts eco-conscious shoppers but also acts as a strategic move to reclaim business that has been shifting to third-party resale marketplaces.

Zara Pre-Owned helps customers extend the life of their clothing, including resale options

To stay ahead of this trend, consider implementing some resale options within your online store. For example:

Create a dedicated section on your website for pre-owned items
Offer customers the option to sell back their gently used items in exchange for store credit
Partner with a resale marketplace to offer your products on their platform, giving you access to a new audience while still retaining control over the resale process
Offer product repairs to extend the life of your products.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a new business, reselling pre-owned or vintage items can be a great way to enter the market. With Ecwid, you can set up a free online store in minutes—perfect for trying out new product ideas.

Embracing resale can also positively affect customer loyalty and trust. Offering ways for customers to extend the life cycle of your products shows that your brand is committed to reducing waste. This can help build a strong connection with eco-conscious consumers looking for brands that align with their values.

Gen Z Is Taking Over the Shopping World

Gen Z makes up nearly 30% of the global population and is expected to represent 27% of the workforce by 2025. As the first fully digital generation, they spend more time online than any other group, with growing spending power.

The share of global population and spending each generation made up in 2024 (Source: Visual Capitalist)

According to this report, Gen Z is projected to experience the fastest growth in spending power compared to other generations. By age 25, their per capita spending in the US will surpass previous generations, debunking the myth that they are the “most broke generation.”

Gen Z’s spending power is growing fast — it is projected to reach an impressive $2.7 trillion in the coming years.

Some key takeaways for businesses to appeal to Gen Z’s shopping behaviors include:

Gen Z prioritizes access over ownership, favoring subscriptions and services like streaming, car shares, and rentals.
They value experiences over luxury, ease of use through mobile apps, and seamless online transactions.
While they enjoy in-person shopping, they also expect excellent online options.
Gen Z supports brands with strong values and sustainability practices but demands authenticity.
Digital influence plays a big role in purchasing decisions, with many relying on online research, influencers, and social media to guide their choices.

With these tips, you can tap into Gen Z’s purchasing power and set your business up for success in the future.

Generative Customer Experiences

Gone are the days when personalization meant slapping a customer’s name on an email. Generative AI is transforming the shopping experience in 2025.

Generative AI refers to technology that can produce new, original content or ideas by analyzing existing data. This means retailers can use AI to create personalized product recommendations, targeted marketing campaigns, and even unique shopping experiences for each individual customer.

This approach helps make recommendations so precise they feel intuitive. For example, Walmart uses GenAI-powered tools to predict the type of content shoppers want to see on the site. With this technology, Walmart plans to create a unique homepage for each shopper.

Alternative Options for Small Businesses

While AI-powered tools have grown increasingly prevalent in recent years, many small business owners may lack the resources to develop their own custom AI solutions.

The good news is that plenty of off-the-shelf AI tools can help retailers implement generative AI into their business without breaking the bank.

These tools might not be able to create a sophisticated shopping experience for every customer. Still, they’ll save you time on routine tasks like writing product descriptions, sprucing up product photos, creating marketing materials, and more.

If you have an Ecwid store, you can leverage AI using the following built-in tools:

AI-generated product descriptions and SEO-optimized content (via apps from the Ecwid App Market)
AI-powered product picture enhancer
AI-generated domain name.

Generating a domain name with AI in an Ecwid store

Hyper-Personalization at Scale

Promotions are shifting away from “one-size-fits-all” tactics. 81% of customers prefer companies that offer a personalized experience, meaning businesses need to focus on hyper-personalization. What is it, you ask?

Hyper-personalization refers to a personalized experience tailored specifically for each customer based on their unique preferences, past purchases, browsing behavior, and more. This approach helps create an emotional connection between the customer and the brand, ultimately increasing loyalty.

Here are a few examples of hyper-personalization:

Discounts on favorite products
Dynamic pricing tailored to individual budgets
Loyalty programs that offer rewards a customer values most
Personalized product recommendations based on past purchases and browsing behavior
Email marketing campaigns that reference past purchases or customers’ wishlists.

If you’re ready to jump on this trend, Ecwid’s built-in tools are here to help. Here are some ways to create personalized offers for your customers in Ecwid:

Various types of automated marketing emails, like ones showcasing your customer’s favorite products, offering related items, or reminding them about their abandoned carts
Discounts for customer groups, so you can reward your most loyal customers or offer special promotions to new customers
The Customers dashboard, aka your go-to hub for managing customer relationships. It lets you manage customer info and filter them by their data so you can create personalized promotions
Retargeting ads on Google, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and Snapchat that allow you to reach customers who have already visited your store and show them personalized ads based on their previous interactions.

Identifying your most loyal customers in an Ecwid store allows you to create tailored promotions

Next-Level Virtual Shopping

Virtual reality in ecommerce isn’t about gimmicks—it’s about delivering a practical shopping experience.

Imagine virtual dressing rooms where customers can try on clothes from the comfort of their homes or lifelike 3D product inspections that help buyers examine items closely before making a purchase. These immersive experiences not only enhance customer satisfaction but also reduce returns and boost buyer confidence.

The research by Harvard Business Review and a global cosmetics retailer found that customers using AR spent 20.7% more time on the app and viewed 1.28 times more products than those without. More importantly, their likelihood of purchasing was 19.8% higher, showing that AR can help boost business revenue.

Businesses that adopt these tech-driven tools gain a significant edge in a highly competitive market.

Fortunately, AR technology isn’t just for big retail giants anymore. If you’re using Ecwid by Lightspeed, you can create 3D product models that let shoppers use their device’s camera to see the model in their real surroundings.

Customers can view a 3D model on a product details page

Imagine virtually placing a coffee table in your living room before buying it—that’s precisely what this AR tech can do!

Ambient Shopping Experiences

Today’s consumers move across digital, physical, virtual, and social platforms, seamlessly switching between browsing, researching, and buying. This omnichannel shopping behavior is evolving from a focused task, like looking for a specific item, to an ambient experience.

Ambient shopping, or always-on shopping, is an experience that happens spontaneously while people browse social media, stream videos, or use apps. Instead of actively searching for products, shoppers passively encounter opportunities to buy.

You’ve probably experienced this firsthand: scrolling through TikTok, admiring an influencer’s health and beauty haul, and then spotting a link in their bio that leads you to purchase the items via their affiliate link.

Consumers come across new products and services, even while watching a funny sketch

What does this mean for your business? It means you need to connect with customers where they already spend their time and integrate your products into their daily lives.

Here are a few ideas to get started:

Expand your reach and drive purchase consideration organically through influencer marketing, affiliate partnerships, and authentic user-generated content
Make it easy for customers to buy, no matter where they are, by offering social media shopping options like shoppable content on Instagram or TikTok
Use a link-in-bio tool like Linkup to allow customers to easily shop all your products from one centralized link on social media platforms
Offer one-click payment options like Google Pay and Apple Pay to make the purchasing process quick and seamless.

With these strategies in place, you can tap into ambient shopping behavior and make it easier for customers to discover and purchase your products spontaneously.

Resilient Supply Chains

Recent years have demonstrated how vital flexible supply chains are in navigating an ever-changing world. From global pandemics to natural disasters, disruptions can strike anytime, leaving businesses scrambling to adapt.

Large companies are staying ahead by leveraging AI and machine learning to predict potential challenges and prepare for the unexpected. These technologies analyze vast amounts of data to identify trends, forecast demand, and streamline inventory management, ensuring a business is always one step ahead.

If you’re not ready to invest in such tech, here are some other strategies to build a resilient supply chain:

Diversify your suppliers and have backup options in place
Stay informed about global events and anticipate potential disruptions
Maintain good relationships with suppliers and work together to find solutions when challenges arise
Consider using drop shipping services to reduce the risk of inventory shortages
Make demand forecasting a priority to avoid overstocking or understocking.

A resilient supply chain means your business is better equipped to handle unforeseen challenges and can meet your customers’ demands even during uncertain times.

Ecwid’s inventory management tools allow you to easily track inventory levels and make real-time adjustments to ensure your business runs smoothly.

A Product Sales and Stock Overview report in the Ecwid admin

For example, built-in inventory and sales reports allow you to identify popular products and plan for future demand, while low-stock notifications help you avoid running out of products.

Autonomous Retail

Imagine a store that runs itself, where technology takes care of the hard work.

Autonomous tech is changing the way businesses operate, offering self-checkout systems, automated inventory tracking, and even self-driving delivery vehicles. These advancements, which once sounded like science fiction, are now becoming a reality.

Better yet, affordable options are emerging, making these tools accessible to businesses of all sizes. For example, cashierless payment systems can speed up checkouts and reduce lines, improving customers’ shopping experience.

As for online stores, chatbots and AI-powered assistants can handle customer inquiries and help with common questions or product recommendations, freeing up time for you to focus on other aspects of your business.

If you run an Ecwid store, you can leverage chatbots using apps from the Ecwid App Market, such as Desku, Chaport, and more.

Privacy-Concerned Consumers

According to the Deloitte survey, consumers increasingly worry about being hacked or tracked through their devices. Nearly 60% of survey respondents fear security breaches, like hackers stealing personal data, and an equal number are concerned about being tracked by others.

Consumers aren’t just concerned about hackers; trust in devices and service providers is also declining. Only half of respondents believe the benefits of online services outweigh their privacy concerns.

Consumer concerns about personal data privacy when interacting with companies worldwide, by type (Source: Statista)

What does this mean for your business? Prioritize data privacy and security for your customers. This commitment can become your strongest competitive advantage in today’s privacy-conscious world.

Here is how you can do that:

Use secure payment gateways like Lightspeed Payments, PayPal, or Stripe
Offer transparent privacy policies, such as clearly stating what data you collect from your customers and how it is used (if you use Ecwid, you can do that with a cookie consent banner)
Provide opt-out options for targeted advertising and personalized content
Use secure website hosting through services like Ecwid’s SSL and TLS certificates for your online store
Communicate steps taken to protect customer information.

Plus, following industry rules and best practices shows you’re serious about protecting customer data, which goes a long way toward building trust with your customers.

The Bottom Line

Retail is evolving fast—these trends are proof of that. But you don’t have to tackle them all at once. Whether implementing generative AI, aiming for your supply chain transparency, or tapping into social commerce, even small changes can set your business up for success in 2025.

Take the next step toward future-proofing your business by exploring Ecwid’s ecommerce tools. With integrations for everything from social commerce to AR, this platform can help you stay ahead of the curve.

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Selling Online

Dec 12, 2024

About the author

Carolyn Young has fifteen years of experience working with startup companies in consulting and management roles. She has written numerous business plans and helped entrepreneurs obtain startup funding. She is the Lead Business Expert for Step By Step Business, a site that helps you save time, money, and stress when setting up your company. She has been a freelance business writer for over ten years and has a bachelor’s degree in Finance from The Ohio State University. She is also the author of a novel, The Perfect View.