Ecommerce isn’t what it used to be—what worked even a year ago might already feel outdated. Overly polished ads? People scroll right past them. Perfectly scripted product descriptions? They don’t build trust anymore. Consumers are craving something different—shopping experiences that are personalised, feel real, and worth their time.
2024 marked a turning point for eCommerce, driven by rapid technological advancements and evolving consumer behavior—an evolution that has been steadily building momentum over the years. What’s new is the power of AI and community-driven strategies, enabling brands to take personalization and trust-building to entirely new levels. As we look to 2025, it’s clear that staying ahead requires more than keeping up with trends—it demands a reimagining of how brands connect, engage, and sell to their audiences.
Here are five ecommerce trends shaping 2025 that brands need to know:
The Rise of AI Product Expert Agents
AI-powered Product Expert Agents are revolutionizing ecommerce by bridging the gap between customer questions and use case specific answers. Unlike traditional chatbots, these agents offer proactive, contextual, and self-learning support that feels human.Why It Matters:
- Preemptive Understanding: Predict customer needs using browsing patterns and data.
- Deep Product Knowledge: Combine manufacturer specs with real-world reviews and videos.
- Video Integration: Deliver interactive, timestamped product videos to address customer concerns.
What’s Next in 2025
- Hyper-personalized product information.
- Integration with voice, visual search, and multi-platform experiences.
Swirl is leading the charge in transforming customer engagement with brilliant AI-powered solutions that go beyond just responding to interactions. While we’re keeping some details under wraps for now, our technology is set to reshape how brands connect with customers in the near future.
Video UGC: Community-Led Content to Drive Trust & Conversions
Transparency is non-negotiable, with 68% of consumers citing user-generated content (UGC) as the most influential factor in their purchase decisions. In 2024, brands saw a surge in customers seeking authentic, user generated content over branded content.Why It Matters:
- Builds trust with authentic, relatable content.
- Directly influences purchase decisions
- Builds an impactful marketing strategy.
What’s Next in 2025
- Empowered Creators: Brands will collaborate with loyal customers and micro-influencers to co-create meaningful content.
- Social Proof at Scale: Interactive UGC, such as video reviews and tutorials, will play a bigger role in conversion-focused campaigns.
Swirl empowers brands to harness UGC effectively by incentivizing authentic content creation and using AI to automate quality moderation. See how Traya achieved a 7x increase in daily orders, and and ODR Skis achieved 131% Increase in Site Engagement Time using UGC videos.
Live-Streaming: The Future of Real-Time Engagement
Shoppable livestreams drove a 75% increase in repeat purchases in 2024, transforming from basic sales events to immersive, interactive shopping experiences. In 2025, livestreams will focus on personalization, gamification, and other innovative engagement tactics.Why It Matters:
- Drives real-time engagement with interactive events.
- Enhances personalization.
- Fosters instant connection with customers.
What’s Next in 2025
- Gamified Live Events: Interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and rewards enhance engagement.
- AI-Driven Live Interaction: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants engaging with viewers in real-time for personalized recommendations and support.
- Augmented Reality (AR) Integration: Viewers can interact with products through AR in real-time during live streams.
- Seamless Checkout: Embedded links for instant purchases without leaving the stream.
Swirl transforms livestream shopping with in-video checkout, seamless integration, and immersive experiences, helping brands engage customers and optimize conversions through detailed analytics.With thousands of minutes of livestreaming content facilitated, Swirl is helping brands engage customers like never before. TVS Motors achieved a 3100% ROI and $550K in sales lift during the Apache RTR 310 launch, while Al-Futtaim generated $10.3M+ in test drive bookings and a 142.9% engagement rate unveiling BYD cars.
Personalization: Hyper-Personalized Shopping Journeys
Personalization remains a cornerstone of modern e-commerce, with brands leveraging insights and analytics to create tailored shopping experiences. From product recommendations to dynamic content, personalization is reshaping how customers interact with online stores.Why It Matters: By leveraging customer data, brands can create experiences that resonate on a personal level, improving satisfaction and fostering stronger connections. This tailored approach encourages customers to return, ultimately driving higher retention rates and more frequent purchases.What’s Next in 2025:
- Predictive Video Content: AI-driven videos that showcase products most relevant to individual shoppers.
- Contextual Storytelling: Dynamic campaigns that align with customer-specific goals, like showcasing fitness gear for New Year resolutions or travel essentials for an upcoming trip.
- Seamless Personalization: Real-time adjustments to shopping experiences based on behavior and preferences.
Swirl is actively developing personalization solutions that seamlessly integrate with e-commerce platforms. By shortening the path to purchase, Swirl helps brands create shopping experiences that feel uniquely crafted for every customer. More on this coming soon!
Voice Commerce: Shopping with Just a Command
Voice commerce is becoming an essential part of the ecommerce experience as consumers increasingly use voice-enabled devices for search and shopping. Brands are focusing on optimizing for voice search and integrating voice commands into their platforms.What’s Next in 2025:
- Conversational Shopping: Voice interactions will guide shoppers through product discovery and selection.
- Seamless Integration: Voice-enabled shopping assistants will complement existing ecommerce features, ensuring a frictionless experience.
Unified Commerce for Seamless Shopping Experiences
Unified Commerce is becoming a key trend as brands integrate online stores, social media, mobile apps, and physical locations into one cohesive ecosystem. This approach ensures a seamless shopping experience, allowing consumers to move effortlessly across channels.Why It Matters:
With omnichannel shoppers spending 30% more than single-channel users, Unified Commerce is essential for increasing engagement, loyalty, and revenue.
What’s Next in 2025
In 2025, we’ll see deeper integrations between ecommerce platforms, enabling smoother transitions from product discovery to checkout. Brands will also focus on unified metrics to track video performance across all channels.Brands should integrate tools that connect social media with ecommerce platforms and use unified analytics dashboards to track performance and optimize the customer journey.