By Andrew Norman, SVP & GM, EMEA, BigCommerce
March 2025 marked five years since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the UK into its first lockdown. This led to a period of immense upheaval, disruption, and uncertainty for many businesses. For the ecommerce sector, the pandemic sparked a transformation that continues to shape the online and offline retail landscape today.
In 2020 alone, the share of online retail sales jumped from 16% to 19%, reflecting the shift to online shopping in response to the pandemic. Before the lockdown, around 34% of all retail sales in the UK were made online. As physical shops were forced to shut their doors, the internet became a commercial necessity. What began as a scramble for survival has since evolved into a lasting shift in consumer behaviour that has rapidly accelerated in recent years, with the global ecommerce market projected to reach a staggering $6.4 trillion by the end of 2025.
Shifting from short-term resilience to lasting growth
During the first lockdown, small businesses in particular raced to establish digital storefronts simply to stay afloat. In those early months, functionality and speed trumped finesse. Since then, shoppers’ expectations have changed, and basic ecommerce platforms often don’t help merchants accommodate evolving customer buying behaviour.
Today’s ecommerce landscape is not only crowded, but increasingly sophisticated. Brands that will achieve long-term success are those that provide engaging customer experiences, establish a presence on multiple channels to meet consumers where they are, and integrate relevant marketing strategies powered by real-time data.
Whether it’s an intuitive checkout process, user-generated content, or advanced product visualisation, today’s consumers expect more, and they expect it now. In return, they’re rewarding brands that deliver seamless and personalised experiences with loyalty in the form of repeat purchases. In fact, research indicates that a staggering 77% of consumers are more likely to choose, recommend, or pay extra for brands that provide such experiences.
Combining AI with the human-centric experience
As ecommerce continues to thrive, the key challenge brands face is to strike the right balance between delivering a ‘human touch’ experience and keeping pace with the ever-evolving consumer expectations.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a key tool for consumers to automate product discovery and recommendations. Retailers are now deploying intelligent chatbots to offer real time, context-aware customer service. Machine learning algorithms power product recommendations that feel less like vague guesswork and more like helpful suggestions from a trusted assistant, tailored to a customer’s preferences and previous buying habits.
This shift towards conversational commerce is bridging the divide between in-person and digital shopping experiences. Importantly ,personalised product journeys, predictive search, and dynamic content are just the beginning of the enhancements AI can offer. By tapping into behavioural data, AI enables businesses to understand their customers on a deeper level and customise every touchpoint accordingly.
The next step: From TikTok popularity to omnichannel presence
Notably, lockdown accelerated the growth of a new generation of digital consumers, shaped by social media and driven by discovery. Platforms like TikTok weren’t just sources of entertainment during isolation; they became powerful engines of product discovery and impulse purchasing.
TikTok Shop, which launched off the back of this trend in 2021, offers a blend of content and commerce that appeals to GenZ audiences. Its’ success paved the way for the launch of similarly immersive platforms such as Amazon Anywhere and Instagram Shop. However, with regulatory restrictions looming, such as in the US, it’s important to consider that overreliance on a single social platform is a risky gamble when it comes to brand presence.
Social commerce should be a component of a broader digital strategy, one that encompasses owned websites, third-party marketplaces, mobile apps, and physical retail, where relevant for a brand’s customers and the business itself. Beyond maximising reach, this omnichannel approach reinforces brand identity, and ensures online customer touchpoints remain consistent and engaging, wherever the shopper is.
The road ahead: Why agility, technology and experience matter
The post-pandemic years have seen consumer expectations soar. They demand speed, convenience, and a seamless experience across every device and platform. Consumers want to feel understood, not just generically targeted, and they expect brands to adapt to their preferences in real-time.
To thrive in this competitive environment, online retailers must adopt an agile approach, leveraging emerging technologies to deepen engagement, personalise at scale, and streamline operations. The future of ecommerce lies in being one step ahead in anticipating the needs of customers and delivering value fast.
