It’s 2025 – welcome! It’s practically tradition to muse about the future at this time of year, and well, I guess we at TMG are no exception. We’ve turned our eyes to commerce and have asked our experts what they think we’ll see more of in 2025 – whether it’s progression from 2024, something completely out of the blue, or front runners we see pulling away from the pack. Without further ado, we’ve polled some of our commerce experts to find out where they think commerce is going – and where companies should focus. Here are our top commerce predictions of 2025:
Aaron Brill, our Commerce Engineering Lead, shares his opinions on where AI will branch out and what platforms are building for B2B needs:
The Rise of AI
AI is poised to play a significant role in several areas:
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
AI-driven NLP capabilities will enhance contextual product searches and discovery on storefronts. Imagine an AI assistant helping customers make informed purchasing decisions seamlessly.
API Documentation
We’re already seeing AI revolutionize API documentation, with tools like Shopify’s AI assistant serving as prime examples of how it simplifies and accelerates development processes.
B2B Empowerment
AI will also transform the B2B space, streamlining order creation, workflows, and more, creating efficiencies that were previously unattainable.
Unified Commerce for B2B
Shopify itself is leading the charge in unified commerce—a strategy focused on extending its storefront capabilities to other areas of the platform, including B2B, additional sales channels, and customer experiences. This approach ensures a consistent and cohesive experience for all users, whether they are customers, sales representatives, or customer service agents, or business administration users.
With Shopify’s rapid development of native B2B offerings, APIs, and tools, the platform is eliminating the need for complex workarounds, making processes faster and more efficient. The B2B capability gap is closing at an exponentially rapid rate – that, I venture to say, even if there is a capability gap today, by the time a large B2B enterprise customer gets onboarded, that capability will already be ready. IMO, today there’s virtually nothing stopping businesses of any size from switching to Shopify. The question has shifted from “Why should I switch to Shopify?” to “Why shouldn’t I switch to Shopify?”
Thomas McNally, TMG’s VP of Technology, has a few well-placed bets also – continuing the AI theme for 2025 and an expanded take on how to best serve current buyers:
Meeting Customers Where They Are
The traditional buying journey—where a customer browses your site, clicks “add to cart,” and checks out—isn’t the only game in town anymore. AI-driven platforms and social media are changing the rules. Consumers want fast, seamless experiences, and businesses need to adapt. Tools like Shopify’s experiments with Perplexity are early indicators of what’s possible, but most companies aren’t even close to AI-ready. Providing web services that cater to applications and systems that developers can easily leverage should be a focus in the future.
Imagine a world where customers don’t even need to visit your site to buy. Optimizing for AI bots and crawlers means your products can be discovered and purchased directly through AI systems or social media channels. Picture a customer watching a new trendy Netflix show, seeing an actor wearing a jacket they love, and with one click, they can buy it. Businesses that invest in AI-driven indexing and integration with social platforms will stay ahead of the curve—and their competitors.
Hyper-Personalization at Speed
We’re more connected than ever. Whether it’s a viral trend, a breaking news event, or a cultural moment, people across all demographics—yes, even your parents—are paying attention. If your brand can’t act quickly to capitalize on these moments, you’ll miss out. But responding to trends at speed is easier said than done, especially when marketing teams are bogged down by long content supply chain and campaign creation cycles.
With the right data tools, brands can react to trends almost instantly. Think: a shoe brand dropping a limited-edition colorway inspired by a viral sports clip the same day it happens. Hyper-personalized, real-time campaigns don’t just engage, they create a sense of urgency and exclusivity. This kind of agility turns cultural moments into sales opportunities, unlocking audiences across generations.
Self-Service is an Expectation
Millennials and Gen Z hate waiting. Whether it’s on hold with customer service or for a slow checkout process. They want to solve their own problems quickly and efficiently. This isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore; it’s a dealbreaker. If you don’t offer self-service options, people won’t stick around. Just look at Amazon— in Canada they’ve mastered this by making it nearly impossible to even find their phone number. That’s not by accident.
From troubleshooting, FAQs, product recommendations, self-service powered by some form of Gen AI is where business should be aiming. Customers want to resolve issues on their own terms, without jumping through hoops. Businesses that prioritize self-service tools not only improve the customer experience but also free up their teams to focus on more complex problems. It’s a win-win: happy customers and reduced operational costs.
Loyalty Programs to keep Customers around
The e-commerce market is crowded. Platforms like Shopify have made it easier than ever for new brands to pop up and compete. With so many options, retaining customer loyalty is harder than ever. Discounts alone won’t cut it anymore—brands need to find new ways to stand out and keep customers coming back.
A loyalty program isn’t just about points and perks anymore—it’s about creating a deeper connection. Offer experiences that make customers feel like they’re part of something exclusive, whether it’s early access to collections, VIP-only product drops, or personalized rewards based on their preferences. Done right, loyalty programs can turn casual shoppers into brand advocates, even in a saturated market.
How many of these are you focusing on this year? We know it’s nearly impossible to focus on them all; our advice is to investigate critically where you are in your digital maturity and start with what’s possible at that level. For those advanced, tackle creating or optimizing your loyalty program. For those toward the earlier parts of the journey, find where AI can be used for API documentation, NLP, or other areas that will free up your teams to focus on more complex challenges.
TMG is here to help – our teams can offer strategic advice, platform consideration, and can roadmap and implement your next evolution. Happy New Year!
