The e-comm game has changed (here's everything you need to know)

Buying something online has never been so dangerously easy. It’s almost inescapable.

I used to be the kind of person that couldn’t leave the house without spending $100. Now I don’t even have to leave the house. I just be spending. Living beyond my freaking means. One scroll, one swipe, one double-tap, and suddenly, the algo knows I’m destined for yet another impulse buy.

And before you act like you’re above alladat, think about that Stanley Cup you definitely didn’t need, or the TikTok find that delivered before you even had your breakfast (hello, new lip stain, heatless curling rods and glass-skin-facemask).

Welcome to the wild west, where consumer behaviour is unruly, non-linear, and majorly unpredictable.

And yet, brands that know how to saddle the chaos and run with it are the ones building real, sustainable edge. But howwww? You ask. Let’s first take a look at the state of the “new shopper.”

Multi-channel is the norm. In 2025, 40.4% of e-commerce sales originate from consumers engaging across multiple channels, not a single funnel.

Higher spenders, higher loyalty. Omnichannel shoppers spend up to 35% more and drive a 30% higher lifetime value, compared to single-channel buyers.

Winning customer expectations. A staggering 88–90% of shoppers now expect seamless, consistent experiences across online, mobile, and physical stores.

Social commerce exploding. In 2025, social commerce sales are expected to hit $2.1 trillion globally, growing even bigger in 2026.

Video is everything. Short videos reign (as we all know). 62% of shoppers prefer video over static posts when discovering products. Meanwhile, livestream commerce already generated billions and is projected to hit $68 billion in US sales by 2026.

It’s clear to see that the consumer journey is not at all linear, but instead a fluid, hyperconnected, mood-driven mosaic. Meaning, brands must meet audiences wherever they are, always.

So how do you guide strategy in this era? Basically, there are three frameworks:

1. Jobs-to-be-done (JTBD)

Move beyond demographics; understand why someone buys. Are they buying that drink bottle to feel trendy? To belong? To simplify life? JTBD uncovers the emotional, functional, and social jobs driving purchases, and points to where to meet them.

2. Service-dominant (S-D) logic

Value isn’t delivered, it's co-created. Across touchpoints, marketing becomes service: experiences, interactions, personalisation, community. S-D logic helps you shift from pushing products to nurturing value ecosystems.

3. COBRA (Consumers’ Online Brand-Related Activities)

Consumers don’t just consume; they contribute and create. They watch reviews, post unboxings, leave micro-reviews. Build strategies that invite consumption and creation, because today’s content is co-authored.

Alright then, let’s build out your modern commerce strategy.

1. Fuse experience with commerce. 

Experience-led leadership isn’t all about the buzz—it literally powers growth. Brands like Officeworks and MECCA in Australia have blurred the line between product and service, making every interaction emotionally and contextually rich. That’s the good stuff right there.

2. Embrace video first and social commerce (duh).

Live commerce isn’t just streaming—it’s real-time conversion. In 2023, live-stream sales hit nearly $919 million globally, and U.S. livestream e-commerce is set to rise from $50B in 2023 to $68B by 2026. Combine this with short-form video (Reels, TikTok) to inspire, educate, convert.

3. Deliver true omnichannel fluidity.

The future of omnichannel is now. Integration of payments and experience - whether online or in-store - matters. UK contactless payments already account for 38% of all retail spend; fragmented systems cause friction and lost trust.

4. Lean into AI and personalisation. It will save your freaking life.

Consumers want AI in shopping now. No really, 71% say they want generative AI integrated into their experience according to Reddit. Use AI for recommendations, storytelling, and real-time fulfilment; provided it’s human-centred, transparent, and trust-enabled, of course.

5. Measure beyond last click.

Traditional attribution breaks in this fluid world. Track cross-channel behaviour, understand how touchpoints interplay, and reward co-creation and engagement, not just conversion.

So, if the consumer journey is spaghetti, here’s the fork you need to eat it with:

1. Understand motivations, not just demographics. 

Use the Jobs-to-Be-Done lens to uncover what people are really hiring your brand for; status, convenience, connection, or self-expression.

2. Design for co-creation, not broadcast. 

Consumers are no longer just buyers; they’re also collaborators. Reviews, unboxings, TikTok hauls are all brand assets. Build strategies that invite participation (hello COBRA framework).

3. Make commerce feel like service. 

According to Service-Dominant Logic, value is co-created, not delivered. That means treating every touchpoint as an opportunity to enrich, not just transact.

4. Build seamless omnichannel flow. 

Payments, inventory, experience, and communication must connect across every touchpoint. The consumer doesn’t distinguish between “channels” and neither should you.

5. Use AI to power adaptability, not rigidity. 

Generative AI can personalise, recommend, and predict, but it should always serve human creativity. Think fuel, not autopilot…

Long story short: in 2025, there’s no “one-size funnel.”

There’s experience, fluidity, and emotional intelligence. And those are precisely the things only brands, i.e. you, not algorithms, can create.

So: design for impulse. Fuel curiosity. Spark co-creation. Because in this wild, algorithmic shopping era, that’s where loyalty, and magic live.

-Sophie Randell, Writer