This January, Verbal+Visual welcomed industry leaders to a special NRF-week panel titled “Ecomm Trend Watch 2025.” The discussion focused on the fast-approaching retail and ecommerce landscape, including how AI, data infrastructure, and a rapidly evolving consumer mindset will redefine success for brands. Below, we break down the event’s top insights and action items, so you can chart a future-ready course for your business.

Meet the Panel

Caroline Dau (Moderator):

President & COO at Verbal+Visual, seasoned at creating commerce experiences that convert customers into lifelong brand advocates.

Jessica Ramirez:

Jessica is the co-founder and managing director of The Consumer Collective. She is a retail expert who specializes in translating trends into actionable business insights, with more than 15 years of international retail experience, including trend research, consumer insights, ecommerce, digital, retail analytics and store management. She was most recently the senior retail research analyst at Jane Hali & Associates, advising mutual funds and hedge funds, and has also worked at WGSN, Burberry and Ted Baker.

Jay Pattisall:

Jay is a principal analyst and consultant serving marketing and agency professionals on topics related to industry trends, strategy, branding, organizational structure, customer-centricity and digital marketing practices.  With a strong emphasis on retail and trend forecasting, Jay is uniquely qualified to assess the ecommerce landscape and prescribe potential scenarios that may come to pass in 2025.

1. AI as a Driver of Operational Efficiency and Creativity

“We’re in a unique phase where generative AI can reduce production costs and hyper-personalize content, yet still requires a human touch for true creativity and authenticity.” – Jay Pattisall

AI for Smarter Inventory and Pricing

• Predictive Analytics: Jessica highlighted that retailers like Walmart and Target effectively use AI to monitor inventory levels, enabling them to replenish (or reduce) stock based on real-time consumer demand.
• Pricing Optimization: With rising costs and a crowded market, AI helps forecast consumer willingness-to-pay and optimizes markdown strategies to maintain healthy margins.

Automated Content Production

• Personalized Assets at Scale: Jay emphasized how AI-driven tools can generate variations of product descriptions, emails, and imagery for diverse segments and platforms.
• Balancing Quality & Quantity: While AI can produce content faster, brands must still ensure that each piece aligns with brand voice and feels human. A purely “synthetic” approach risks alienating savvy consumers looking for authenticity.

Action Items

• Map Your AI Use Cases: Identify tasks where AI can boost productivity (e.g., product recommendations, ad copy generation) and maintain a human-led approach for tasks requiring emotional intelligence (e.g., brand storytelling).
• Train Your AI Models Continuously: Generative AI requires constant feeding of fresh data and oversight to stay relevant and avoid “hallucinations.”

2. Building the Right Data Infrastructure for Omnichannel Success

“The ideal scenario is one unified system that helps you see inventory, marketing, and customer data across every channel—without blind spots.” – Jessica Ramirez

Overcoming Legacy Systems

• Many retailers still grapple with outdated platforms that don’t communicate seamlessly across regions or channels. This leads to siloed data and missed opportunities for both consumer insights and business optimization.

Holistic Customer Journeys

• With six or more touchpoints on the average path to purchase, data must flow from email to in-store to social media—and back again.
• Brands that unify this data can deploy relevant messaging (and promotions) exactly when and where consumers need them—whether online or offline.

Action Items

• Conduct a Tech Audit: Identify any bottlenecks—like separate ecom systems for international markets—that prevent real-time visibility into sales, inventory, and customer interactions.
• Standardize Taxonomies: As Jay noted, setting universal naming conventions (metadata/taxonomies) across products and assets allows for more advanced AI-driven personalization and reporting.

3. Market Outlook: Global Expansion & Shifting Consumer Dynamics

“Global brands can’t rely on one region’s growth forever. India, Mexico, and parts of APAC are seeing increased investment—and consumer spending patterns are evolving quickly.” – Jessica Ramirez

Expanding to New Regions

• India: Amazon’s early inroads have shown there’s massive potential in the Indian market, prompting other U.S. brands to form new retail or distribution partnerships.
• Mexico: Beauty giants like Ulta are betting on Mexico’s robust demand; similarly, fashion brands see a rising middle class in Latin America as a growth opportunity.

Resilient U.S. Consumer

• Despite inflation, the U.S. consumer continues to spend strategically—cutting back on certain discretionary items while “trading up” for products that deliver value or meet lifestyle needs (e.g., high-quality running shoes).

Action Items

• Localized Strategies: Before expanding, research each market’s cultural nuances and consumer spending behaviors. Tailor product assortments and messaging accordingly.
• Stay Nimble with Pricing: With inflation and potential new tariffs, cost structures will fluctuate. Build dynamic pricing models to adapt quickly.

4. Evolving Generations: Gen Z, Sports & the Rise of Women’s Markets

“Gen Z is redefining how we think about ‘in-person’ vs. digital. They might shop primarily online, but they still crave community—and that opens new doors for brands.” – Jessica Ramirez

Community and Experience-Driven Retail

• Sports & Wellness Boom: Running clubs, golf’s image reboot, and global soccer (especially with the U.S. set to host the World Cup in 2026) offer huge brand opportunities.
• Female-Centric Sports Market: Brands like Lululemon have tapped into women-specific athletic needs, conducting clinical research to design sneakers that truly fit female biomechanics. Sponsorships for women’s sports are also gaining momentum.

Loneliness Factor & Authentic Connection

• Gen Z (and younger cohorts) increasingly seek real community experiences—online and off. Retailers who facilitate or sponsor clubs, events, and social meet-ups can create deeper loyalty than transactional approaches.

Action Items

• Design for Inclusivity: From sizing to marketing imagery, ensure your brand genuinely reflects diverse body types, genders, and ages.
• Sponsor Grassroots Events: Consider hosting local run clubs, fitness challenges, or wellness workshops—particularly those tailored to women’s experiences.

5. Balancing Authentic Brand Experiences with AI-Driven Content

“As AI-generated visuals and copy proliferate, consumers will crave brands that feel real. There’s a huge opportunity to infuse genuine storytelling amid all the synthetic noise.” – Jay Pattisall

When AI Backfires

• Brands risk diluting iconic campaigns if they rely too heavily on automated tools. As Jay noted, Coca-Cola’s AI-powered holiday ads sparked mixed reactions because fans recognized the “synthetic” touches in a beloved classic.

Craftsmanship and Quality

• Consumers still value artisan-level quality—whether it’s meticulously crafted products or heartfelt stories. AI can assist in repetitive tasks, but human creativity remains the differentiator.

Action Items

• Curate AI Outputs: Always review AI-generated copy or imagery. Ensure it aligns with brand values and resonates emotionally—don’t just “paste and publish.”
• Embrace the ‘Human Quotient’: Highlight the real people behind your brand—designers, founders, craftspeople—to underscore your authenticity.

6. Livestream & Social Commerce: Still a Frontier in the U.S.

“While livestream shopping in China is ubiquitous, American audiences need better execution—and a more seamless path to purchase—before it becomes mainstream.” – Jessica Ramirez

Execution Is Everything

• From YouTube x Shopify integrations to Amazon’s “Shop the Show,” there’s been incremental growth in live-selling platforms. Yet many U.S. executions still feel clunky compared to QVC-esque pros or China’s polished influencer streaming.

Cross-Platform Collaboration

• For mainstream adoption, brands must bridge walled gardens—integrating social, ecommerce, and payment platforms in a frictionless way. Until then, adoption will likely stay modest.

Action Items

• Start Small: Experiment with one channel—e.g., Instagram Live or YouTube x Shopify—before rolling out multiple.
• Elevate Production Quality: Viewers now expect crisp visuals, succinct storytelling, and real-time Q&A. Partner with creators/influencers who know how to engage live audiences.

Conclusion: Future-Proofing Your Ecommerce Playbook

As the panelists made clear, 2025 will reward brands that invest in robust data infrastructures, embrace AI strategically, and offer authentic experiences that resonate emotionally with consumers. The strongest players will:

• Combine automation with human intuition to deliver personalized content without losing brand soul.
• Unify tech platforms so inventory, marketing, and customer data talk to each other seamlessly.
• Spot new opportunities—whether that’s forging strong brand experiences in women’s sports or exploring market expansion in India and Mexico.
• Bet on real connections—from running clubs to high-touch customer service—that break the monotony of endless digital feeds.

Above all, brands that understand why their customers buy—and that remove friction from every part of the journey—will thrive in an increasingly competitive and AI-driven world. As you chart your path to 2025, remember: the winners won’t just keep up with technology; they’ll deploy it in ways that forge deeper human relationships and stand out in a sea of sameness.

Want to learn more about ecommerce solutions and digital strategy for 2025?

Contact Verbal+Visual to discover how we create brand-centric commerce experiences that meaningfully connect with today’s—and tomorrow’s—consumers.