Retail and marketplaces are changing fast. Just five years ago, shopping looked completely different. In 2025, staying ahead will mean more than just being online—it will mean being smarter, faster, and more personalized.

To thrive, brands need to tap into the biggest trends shaping the future of commerce. These trends are driven by new technology, rising customer expectations, and global shifts in how we live, shop, and sell.

Let’s explore the eight trends you need to watch—and how you can turn them into competitive advantages.

  • More Products, Less Overhead: Use marketplaces and third-party sellers to grow your assortment.
  • Hyper-Personalization: Make every interaction feel personal using AI and unified data.
  • Immersive Experiences: AR and VR help customers try before they buy—digitally.
  • Sustainability as Standard: Make it easy to shop ethically and reduce waste.
  • Social Commerce Dominates: Shoppers are buying directly from TikTok and Instagram.
  • Omnichannel = Default: Your online and offline experience must work as one.
  • Retail Media Revenue: Use your site’s traffic and data to help brands advertise.
  • Smarter Supply Chains: Reduce risk with local sourcing, live tracking, and seller networks.

Trend 1: Range Extension & Assortment Expansion

Shoppers want more choices. Retailers that offer broader, more diverse product selections are gaining more attention—and, consequently, more sales.

How to Adopt It:

  • Utilize customer and market data to identify gaps in your product offerings.
  • Introduce private label brands to increase margins and exclusivity.
  • Launch a multi-vendor marketplace to expand your product line and diversify your product range fast without holding inventory.

Range Extension Example: Tesco

Tesco expanded its online marketplace from 9,000 products to over 300,000 in just six months. They added electronics, homeware, fashion, and beauty, way beyond groceries. By partnering with third-party sellers, Tesco transformed into a full-service destination without having to stock everything itself.

👉 Learn More on How Tesco Expanded Its Product Range

👉Learn More on How to Expand Product Range with a Marketplace Strategy

Trend 2: Hyper-Personalization Goes Mainstream

Forget “Hello, John” emails. In 2025, customers expect retailers to understand their preferences and anticipate their needs across every touchpoint.

How to Adopt It:

  • Use AI recommendations to personalize product suggestions.
  • Implement Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) to unify data from all channels.
  • Apply predictive analytics to offer products before customers even ask.

Hyper-Personalization Example: Sephora

Sephora personalizes everything from online recommendations to in-store consultations.
They use purchase history, reviews, and beauty preferences to offer curated product suggestions, custom skincare routines, and targeted promotions. Even store advisors access customer profiles for tailored advice. The result? Higher engagement and loyalty—without guessing what customers want.

Trend 3: Immersive Shopping Becomes the Norm

Shopping isn’t just about seeing—it’s about experiencing. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are turning online browsing into interactive, confidence-boosting experiences.

How to Adopt It:

  • Use AR apps to let customers preview products in real-world settings.
  • Build virtual storefronts where shoppers can explore, interact, and even attend live events.

Immersive Shopping Example: IKEA

IKEA’s “Place” app lets you drop virtual furniture into your living room using your phone. Want to see if that sofa fits your space? Just open the app. This simple feature reduces purchase hesitation and returns, and gives IKEA deep insight into what customers are considering before they buy.

Trend 4: Sustainability Isn’t Optional—It’s Expected

Shoppers care about more than price. They’re asking: “How was this made?” and “What’s the environmental cost?” Brands that lead with sustainability earn trust and market share.

How to Adopt It:

  • Partner with eco-conscious sellers and suppliers.
  • Build transparent supply chains that show where products come from.
  • Embrace the circular economy with resale, recycling, and reusability programs.

 Sustainability Example: Finn.no

Finn Marketplace in Norway champions secondhand shopping. They highlight reused goods, promote resale listings, and make it easy to give items a second life. Sustainability isn’t a marketing angle—it’s built into their platform. And customers love it.

Trend 5: Social Commerce Is the New Window Shopping

People don’t just discover products in stores—they discover them in their feeds. Social media has become one of the fastest-growing eCommerce channels.

How to Adopt It:

  • Use shoppable posts and stories on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. Utilize an online video editor with ai dubbing to create content to increase engagement.
  • Run live shopping events hosted by influencers or brand reps.
  • Partner with creators who align with your brand and can drive real engagement.

Social Commerce Example: SHEIN

SHEIN nails social commerce. They work with thousands of micro-influencers, run contests, and use TikTok and Instagram to launch viral products. Users tap a look they like and buy it in seconds. No middle step. It’s impulse-friendly, high-converting, and built for today’s mobile-first buyer. 

Trend 6: Omnichannel Isn’t a Feature—It’s the Standard

Today’s shoppers jump between devices and channels without thinking. They expect everything to work seamlessly—online, in-store, mobile, and back again.

How to Adopt It:

  • Offer click-and-collect or curbside pickup (BOPIS).
  • Sync inventory across stores and online so stock is always accurate.
  • Deliver personalized service across every touchpoint.

Omnichannel Example: Target

Target nails the seamless experience. Shoppers can buy online, pick up in-store, or use same-day delivery. Their app shows live inventory, nearby stores, and personalized deals. Behind the scenes? Smart inventory systems and trained store staff make it all feel effortless.

Trend 7: Retailers Become Media Networks

Retailers aren’t just selling products—they’re also selling exposure through promoted and featured listings. With a wealth of first-party data, brands are transforming their platforms into powerful advertising engines.

How to Adopt It:

  • Let sellers and partners promote products on your site.
  • Offer sponsored listings, banners, or in-store digital ads.
  • Use your customer data to help brands target the right audience.

Retail Media Example: Albertsons

Albertsons runs its own retail media network. Using loyalty programs and online data, they let brands target ads based on what shoppers actually buy. A pet food brand can reach dog owners. A soda brand can promote during snack sales. It’s hyper-targeted, high-ROI advertising—run inside a grocery chain.

👉 Learn More on Leveraging Retail Media with Marketplacer

Trend 8: Supply Chains Get Smarter (and Safer)

After years of global disruption, businesses are rethinking how they source, store, and ship products. Flexibility and local options are now key.

How to Adopt It:

  • Use multiple suppliers (local + global) to spread risk.
  • Invest in real-time tracking to spot delays early.
  • Expand your assortment via third-party sellers to avoid inventory bottlenecks.

Supply Chain Example: Tesco

Tesco’s not just expanding products—they’re diversifying where they come from.
They partner with global and local sellers and support regional fulfillment centers to stay close to customers. This lowers risk, speeds up delivery, and helps them adapt to changing demand, fast.

👉 Learn More on Product Expansion with Marketplace Integration

The Bottom Line: Adapt or Get Left Behind

From AI-powered personalization to social commerce and retail media, the way we shop is being rewritten in real time. Shoppers want choice, convenience, and meaning—and they want it now.

The retailers and marketplaces that win in 2025 will be the ones that:

  • Stay flexible
  • Expand smartly (think marketplace over inventory)
  • Prioritize experience, not just transactions.

Don’t try to do it all. Start where the impact is biggest. Whether that’s expanding your range, building a resale program, or launching a retail media network, it’s about moving forward with purpose.

The future of commerce is fast, personalized, and platform-driven. Let’s get you there.

Ready to Turn Trends into Revenue?

Marketplacer helps you launch and scale a marketplace strategy that goes beyond product expansion—it unlocks new revenue streams through third-party sellers, curated assortments, and retail media.

  • Expand your range without expanding your inventory.
  • Let brands and sellers promote their products on your platform.
  • Monetize your traffic. Own the experience. Grow without the overhead.

Whether you’re exploring your first step into multi-vendor or want to power up with retail media, we’re built for both.

👉 Talk to Our Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Got more questions? Contact us.

We want to respond faster to market trends. Can Marketplacer help?

Yes. Marketplacer allows you to quickly launch new categories and test emerging product lines by connecting with curated sellers. You can pivot faster, respond to consumer demand in real-time, and stay ahead of competitors without changing your core business model.

How can we expand our product range without managing inventory?

With Marketplacer’s multi-vendor marketplace model, you can onboard third-party sellers who handle their own inventory and fulfillment. You get a dramatically wider product range—without the overhead of stocking, storing, or shipping.

In addition, Marketplacer is built to integrate into your existing tech stack—whether that’s your loyalty system, eCommerce engine, or CMS. With headless deployment and Fast Start program, you can go live quickly without rebuilding your entire setup.

What role does Marketplacer play in supporting retail media?

Marketplacer enables sellers and brands on your platform to sponsor products, run promotions, or feature listings in premium placements. You control the experience, and they pay for visibility, turning your traffic into a new revenue stream.

Can Marketplacer help with supply chain diversification?

Absolutely. By supporting third-party seller integration, Marketplacer gives you access to thousands of high-quality supplier bases, both local and global. You can reduce reliance on any single supply chain, spread fulfillment risk, and boost resilience during disruptions.