eCommerce trends and predictions for 2026

eCommerce trends and predictions for 2026

Global disruption has pushed customers and retailers to change their habits quickly. Online commerce was already growing before the pandemic, but 2020 accelerated that shift dramatically. Looking ahead to 2026, the original article describes a more mature market, with demanding customers and brands increasingly willing to innovate.

This is a translation of the article's 2026 outlook. Its numerical claims and forecasts are retained in that context, not presented as newly verified market statistics. The original text does not provide the underlying studies for those figures.

A new, AI-powered chapter in eCommerce

The article reports that online-sales growth in 2020 was five times greater than in 2019 and that predictions of double-digit global growth in 2023 were realised.

Its market outlook refers to more than 30 million online stores and projects that online channels could account for a third of retail by 2026. It also highlights a growing willingness to buy high-value products online, including cars, furniture and luxury goods.

B2B eCommerce is developing alongside this trend, while direct-to-consumer channels are becoming more established. Brands are building their own sales channels and reducing reliance on global marketplaces, with customer loyalty as an important objective.

The original roadmap highlights the following AI tools planned for our Core CMS.

AI for customer personalisation

Offers based on customer preferences and first-party data

1. Display personalised products in designated blocks within the online store.
2. Send personalised offers through the available communication channels.

An AI-powered chatbot

1. Answer questions about products, purchasing terms and delivery.
2. Use appropriately connected customer information, such as previous orders and order statuses, to answer relevant questions.
3. Help create an order through conversation, including adding products to the basket and supporting checkout up to the payment step.

AI for managing the online store

The roadmap also describes management through text-based instructions, such as:

1. Analyse sales and identify the products with the largest decline over a specified period.
2. Identify customers who purchased more than X times within a chosen period.
3. Create a promotion for selected products.
4. Prepare an email for customers who bought particular products.
5. Find the ten best-selling products in category X and identify relevant products missing from the assortment.
6. Create product descriptions and attributes.

Online and physical retail: working together

The outlook treats online retail as an extension of physical stores, not simply a replacement. Connecting the online store with physical branches is therefore central to the customer experience.

A “phygital” approach combines physical and digital shopping: customers research and receive relevant offers online, while retaining the option of an in-person experience.

The article highlights three points:

• It reports that more than 60% of in-store customers also research information and prices online.
• Fast, free delivery is presented as a leading online-purchase consideration.
• Click-and-collect and flexible collection options are expected to become increasingly standard.

Personalisation and privacy: a balance that supports loyalty

Customers want a tailored experience, but also greater control over their personal information. Personalisation is therefore about more than adjusting an offer: it must also respect the customer's choices.

The original outlook cites 80% of customers as preferring a personalised experience and 60% as being more likely to buy again when messages and offers are relevant.

Its central recommendation is transparency: understandable rules and clear explanations of data use help build trust.

Social commerce and the role of TikTok

The article expects social platforms to become a significant sales channel in their own right. Its forecast places more than 25% of global purchases inside social apps.

It highlights TikTok's growth and the development of livestream shopping, particularly in Asian and US markets. Influencer recommendations remain an important part of the outlook, especially for younger audiences.

Technology trends in the 2026 outlook

• Voice shopping: the article cites adoption by more than 30% of online shoppers.
• Interactive video advertising: it refers to potential returns of up to twice those of conventional video.
• AR and VR: it cites more than 50% of leading online retailers as having introduced augmented-reality tools to help customers assess products before buying.
• AI personalisation: generative tools can support tailored descriptions, offers and customer assistance.
• Accessibility and sustainability: the outlook presents these as expected parts of a strong customer experience, alongside clearly communicated environmental, social and governance values.

Marketing and SEO

Email remains an important marketing channel in the article's outlook, increasingly combined with AI tools that help anticipate customer behaviour.

SEO also remains important. The original text cites Google's search-market share as above 90%, while highlighting AI-assisted and voice search as forces changing how people find information.

Abandoned baskets remain a challenge

The article places basket abandonment at around 70%. It describes growing interest in AI-assisted checkout optimisation and predictive analysis as ways to understand and reduce lost sales.

Unexpected charges and mandatory registration remain key obstacles in the discussion. Relevant follow-up messages, carefully used on-site prompts and flexible payment options can help customers complete their purchases.

How to respond to these trends

1. Improve the mobile experience and checkout.
2. Invest in personalisation with clear privacy rules.
3. Evaluate AI, augmented reality and relevant voice, video or livestream sales formats.
4. Connect online and offline customer journeys.
5. Reflect the values customers care about, including sustainability, ethical conduct and transparency.

The main message of this outlook is straightforward: customers want shopping to be faster, easier and more relevant, while understanding the values of the brand they choose to trust.