Those in the retail space know that how and what customers buy has changed drastically over the past decade. These merchandising trends are especially relevant in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as more than 60% of American buyers altered their shopping habits.
Although restrictions have eased up significantly since then, many shoppers have found that they prefer these new habits. It’s crucial for small and large businesses throughout the retail industry to know what’s next.
Here’s a look at retail market trends in 2024 and beyond.
Those in the retail space know that how and what customers buy has changed drastically over the past decade. These merchandising trends are especially relevant in light of the changes in shopping habits brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, 87% of adults aged 18 to 29 report buying things online using their smartphone.
Although restrictions have eased up significantly since then, many shoppers have found that they prefer these new habits. Today, consumers are more accustomed to using online payment methods and navigating e-commerce than ever before. It’s crucial for small and large businesses throughout the retail industry to know what’s next.
Here’s a look at retail trends in 2025 and beyond.
What Are Retail Trends and How Do You Look Out for Them?
A retail trend points to development and changes in consumer behavior. These instances highlight how customers interact with brands, as well as how brands respond to them. Retail trends essentially highlight the state of the retail market and make predictions for what’s on the horizon.
As a marketing manager, your main goal is to remain profitable and competitive while satisfying your customers. To stay on the cutting edge, you should know the current retail trends that align with your brand. As a result, you’ll find yourself in the best position possible.
16 Retail Trends to Watch Out for in 2025 and Beyond
Below are the latest trends in retail marketing you should watch out for in the coming years.
1. A Blend of Online and Offline Experiences
Both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are bringing online and offline shopping experiences together. However, it’s not necessarily a recent trend in the retail world. Before the pandemic, different retail brands deployed AR in showcasing their products to their customers.
For example, in 2018, Shopify launched Shopify AR, a toolkit for businesses to create and integrate AR into their online stores. This feature meets increasing customer demand for AR to assist users in assessing products online.
As of 2022, at least one-third of VR users have used the technology to shop, and at least 32% of them have bought products through VR platforms. Younger consumers, including Gen Z, want to use VR and AR while shopping because they feel it’s more personal. According to a Snapchat survey, 92% of Gen Z shoppers want to use AR to enhance their shopping experience and are more likely to pay attention to ads that use AR.
However, COVID-19 made AR in retail even more crucial. It’s widely known that the lockdown across the world started a mass movement in online shopping. As a result, retailers have had to take their brick-and-mortar shopping experience to the web. This jump in e-commerce sales will likely only increase with features like AR and VR.
Here are some examples of brands using AR today to help customers take a closer look at their products:
- Sephora gives users an option to try on makeup through their cameras with AR software.
- Louis Vuitton allows mobile users to try on clothes and jewelry virtually in its app.
- IKEA lets mobile users place virtual furniture in their homes to see whether they like it.
There’s no denying that this trend will keep moving forward, especially when these innovations are happening so rapidly. In the future, consumers will likely demand AR to provide the ease and convenience of online shopping without missing out on the physical experience. AR and VR will grow from being nice-to-have technologies to becoming a necessity for retailers to stay competitive.
2. The Rise of Social Commerce
Here’s one of the latest shopping trends in retail. Rather than being used to like posts and share articles, social media has recently become a space for what’s known as social commerce — the blending of shopping and social media. Both physical stores and e-commerce platforms, like Shopify, are no longer the primary go-to place for online shopping. The use of social media is gradually morphing from just networking to direct buying and selling, particularly with the launch of native shopping on apps like:
- TikTok
- Snapchat
Today, consumers no longer have to click through multiple website pages to purchase a product they find online. Instead, they can discover, research and buy products on social media shops without leaving the app. For instance, 70% of all Instagram users report using the app to shop for products. This is a major opportunity for retailers to tap into.
Second, retailers can reach their ideal buyers faster. Social media platforms offer unique data about user behavior, allowing retailers to give users highly relevant and personalized product recommendations.
The rise and acceptance of social media platforms over the decades signify they’ll only grow as a retail outlet. Facebook, the most popular platform, had over 2 billion daily active users in 2023. Meanwhile, TikTok, the app most popular with the younger generation, reached over 100 million users in the U.S. alone and is projected to reach over 120 million users by 2027. TikTok Shop has attracted millions of customers and is expected to generate over $17 billion by the end of 2024. With increasing internet adoption worldwide, these platforms are likely to get even bigger.
In 2025 and beyond, more retailers will have social media stores in addition to their other channels. Also, more small businesses will spring up on social media shops, as they’re an accessible and convenient option. Brands that invest in getting more sales on social media shops will likely be more profitable and competitive.
3. Reliance on Artificial Intelligence and Big Data
To serve their customers online and offline, retailers are relying more on data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
As retail becomes more digital and competitive, brands rely on data to attract and satisfy their customers — and AI-driven data is a big player in making valid business decisions. AI will power inventory management to make more accurate forecasts on inventory and improve retailers’ ability to satisfy their customers both online and offline. This development will move the focus of customer satisfaction from increasing inventory to increasing product availability.
Additionally, AI is taking the front role in retail. Accelerated by the pandemic, the use of big data and AI now goes beyond inventory management to influence customer engagement at the front desk. AI tools, such as the following, can now help customers assess and buy products:
- Chatbots
- AI assistants
- AI-made product recommendations
- AI-generated wish lists
With these advancements, AI tools are no longer the sole property of big brands. Small businesses now access and use these tools to serve their customers.
There’s also increased use of AI and big data in marketing. To get more traffic and buyers to their physical and e-commerce stores, marketers rely on customer data to determine consumer behavior and preference, guiding their marketing strategy and budget. Moving forward, brands that invest in big data analytics and AI will be more profitable and positioned to attract and satisfy customers and own a larger share of the market.
4. Rise in M-Commerce and Voice Shopping
Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, is a growing force online retailers need to take advantage of to remain competitive moving forward. Experts project m-commerce retail to reach $710 billion in sales by 2025, a dramatic increase from $360 billion in 2021. Voice shopping is one of the most promising m-commerce developments right now.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, people have been increasingly using AI assistants like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa as personal shoppers. Many users already prefer voice search to traditional search because it’s faster and more efficient — in fact, 20% of all mobile searches are done by voice.
Brands that focus on voice search optimization are likely to see an enormous increase in site traffic over the coming years. Voice search optimization upgrades your website content to make it more likely to appear in featured snippets, meaning your result could be the one that the assistant reads to the consumer when they’re searching for a product.
Smart speakers — specifically Google Home and Amazon Echo — will be another area of growth. As of 2023, 64% of Americans owned an Amazon Echo. Additionally, at least 27% of U.S. consumers used voice assistance for online shopping experiences and payments in 2022. However, attitudes toward online shopping using voice features remain varied, as many consumers prefer to touch or see products before purchasing. It may be some time before buying via smart speaker really takes off, as some consumers still prefer to switch to another device or visit the store in person.
5. Autonomous Order Fulfillment
The rise in online shopping and preference for home delivery increased the volume of order fulfillment and last-mile delivery. For example, due to the pandemic, DHL reported an 86% increase in parcel shipments per day. To meet this exploding order volume, robots, drones and autonomous vehicles fill in the gaps.
Brands like UPS and Walmart have been testing autonomous fulfillment since before the pandemic. With the pandemic and a preference for less human contact, robots and self-driving delivery systems are now taking center stage in order fulfillment.
In addition to autonomous delivery, more contactless delivery models are also becoming more common. For example, consumers are gradually opting for curbside pickup, a delivery option where customers order online and pick up their delivery at a designated location, usually at the curbside of the store.
Over the next several years, customers will probably still prefer to shop online. This trend will keep order volume high, so logistics companies will likely seek robots and other autonomous options to lift the burden. As a result, these innovations are here to stay in some way, shape or form.
6. A Gradual Elimination of Wholesalers and Retailers
One of the most recent merchandising trends in retail, manufacturers are starting to partner with social media influencers to sell directly to consumers. Selling directly to consumers benefits both the consumer and the manufacturer. On one hand, the consumer benefits from buying at the best price and getting personalized products and services from the manufacturer.
On the other hand, the manufacturer engages directly with the consumer and enjoys greater control of the market. Also, manufacturers have the benefits of demand-driven production, enabling them to maximize production efficiency and gain real data on consumer behavior and interaction with their product.
However, this retail trend means that manufacturers have to bear the burden of order fulfillment. However, with the innovations in dropshipping and disruption in the order fulfillment industry, manufacturers can easily outsource order fulfillment to logistics companies and focus on what they know how to do best.
As e-commerce becomes more mainstream, dropshipping and the order fulfillment market become more competitive and cost-effective, so manufacturers have the means to serve consumers directly. This move gradually eliminates the wholesalers and retailers. Fortunately, selling directly to consumers has become simplified for manufacturers thanks to:
- Social commerce
- Influencer marketing
- Easy communication
- The desire for customized products
This development affects both online shops and offline retail outlets. Moving ahead, we may see more manufacturer-consumer transactions, affecting wholesalers and retailers. To fight back and remain profitable, retailers must improve their in-person customer experience and increase their focus on helping their customers get the products they want, when they want them and how they want them.
7. Same-Day Delivery Options
Consumers want their products delivered as soon as possible. That’s especially true now that Amazon has perfected the next-day and two-day delivery shipping model. In fact, 46% of customers say they would pay extra for same-day delivery. Meanwhile, 92% of consumers say that free delivery influences their decision to purchase. Lots of companies, like Uber Eats, Uber Connect and Instacart, are adjusting to this shift to help retailers satisfy their customers.
Amazon already offers a same-day delivery option to its customers with Amazon Prime, and Walmart can now deliver in two hours or less. However, with the new Amazon Prime Air, customers can get orders weighing less than 5 pounds even faster — with delivery in 30 minutes or less using self-driving drones.
The grocery and fresh food industries are also expected to benefit from this development. The recent trend of switching to grocery delivery spurred by the pandemic is expected to continue, as grocery delivery sales increased by 10% and ship-to-home by 9%, creating more opportunities in logistics and security in order fulfillment.
To supplement the heavily burdened logistics system, other delivery models like Buy Online and Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) are being adopted, fusing the convenience of online shopping with the offline human connection.
In the future, same-day delivery options won’t be exclusive to big retail brands. Instead, small- and medium-scale businesses will have the technology and resources to offer instant delivery to their customers. Consumers will always demand faster delivery, and retailers who invest in fast last-mile delivery will remain competitive and profitable.
8. Expanded Order Fulfillment Options
As more web-native brands begin establishing a physical presence, businesses will need to ensure they can fulfill orders anywhere their customers are. These new competitors are likely to use a hybrid of BOPIS, e-commerce and in-store channels to sell products and fulfill orders.
Integrating technology with in-store displays is another trend we’ll likely see moving forward. For example, combining QR-code window shopping with BOPIS allows businesses to use their brick-and-mortar locations to sell products even outside business hours. The customer simply scans the code next to the item in the window they’re interested in, which leads them to an order page for the item.
This kind of seamless experience meets customer expectations for instant gratification while simultaneously providing a more traditional shopping experience.
9. Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Products
Consumers are becoming more concerned about environmental, social and political ideals, aligning with brands who share similar goals and beliefs. For example, two-thirds of shoppers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Shoppers are now considering a brand’s ethics and values in addition to the benefits it provides.
The increase in online shopping has raised environmental concerns. That’s because more packaged product delivery means a boost in packaging waste and a higher burden on waste management and recycling. Customers will begin to align with brands that are concerned about the planet and put measures in place to curb the negative effects of their activities on the environment. Companies will likely have an edge on the competition if they adopt sustainable circular retail practices like:
- Prioritizing recyclable packaging
- Reducing their carbon emissions
- Avoiding fast fashion trends
- Designing for durability
- Offering repair services
- Encouraging responsible consumption
- Offering resale and rental options
10. A More Personalized Customer Experience
As the retail market becomes more competitive, retailers are locked in a battle of offering the best customer experience. Customers want you to know what they want before they do.
To achieve this advantage, retailers are taking a multichannel approach to collect data on their customers, using predictive analytics to forecast their customers’ needs, stock the right inventory and offer accurate suggestions. Over the years, companies like Amazon have gathered data on their customers to build highly effective recommendation engines. Brands that want to stay profitable should consider investing in big data analytics.
Also, customers are more concerned about their health and hygiene than ever before. This trend reflects in their shopping preferences. Due to COVID-19, the global hygiene market is projected to grow to $205.19 billion by 2027. That’s a steep increase from 2021, when the market was valued at $157.57 billion. Making your customers the center of your business strategy gives you the advantage of hyper-personalization consumers are looking for.
11. Local Shopping and E-Commerce
Big retail brands are moving closer to their customers, using local shops while maintaining a strong online presence. Similarly, retailers like Amazon are setting up more locations for customers to pick up their packages, meeting consumers in the middle. This effort to maintain a local presence helps retail businesses diversify themselves from competitors that strictly maintain an online presence.
Also, small brands are starting to rely more on e-commerce solutions like Shopify and other web-based services to remain relevant offline and online. As a result, we can expect a rise in local e-commerce, where small-scale businesses seek an online presence to meet demands. It’s the best way to access a new audience, as they can reach customers everywhere.
Additionally, many retailers who began online are opening brick-and-mortar stores to expand their reach. Although business will continue shifting online for most brands, online retailers like Bonobos and Amazon have been setting up physical locations and showrooms.
12. Growth of the Subscription Model
The subscription retail model is similar to every other subscription model. That is, retailers deliver products to customers monthly based on a payment package. Retail subscription benefits both the consumer and the retailer. Consumers have access to quality products at a relatively lower cost. Also, customers enjoy deliveries consistently without the recurring need to place orders. Further, the retailer benefits from predictable cash flow and a steady customer base.
While a subscription model typically only makes sense for some retail businesses, like those that sell food and beverage products, there’s no doubt they’ll continue to become popular in the industry.
13. Rewards and Loyalty Programs

Providing customers with incentives to continue shopping has never been out of date. Seven in 10 consumers say that loyalty programs influence their decision to choose one business over another. However, customers want more from loyalty programs today. The most popular features wanted by consumers include:
- The ability to earn rewards toward discounts
- Exclusive perks such as early access to products
- Cashback
- Free shipping
- Birthday gifts
Alternatively, complicated redemption processes and invaluable incentives were noted as the top rewards program pitfalls. Using big data analytics and AI technology, businesses can look at customer purchase histories and gain a better idea of the rewards they want in the future. Gathering customer feedback directly is another effective way to deliver a more personalized experience for loyalty members to drive increased sales.
14. Omnichannel Shopping Experience
In 2024, we know that consumers want the option to shop however they want. A hybrid experience, for example, enables shoppers to find products online, in-store and on their mobile devices. This hybrid approach is also known as an omnichannel experience, where retailers and businesses create multimedia storefronts and consistent communication across all touchpoints.
Retailers must eliminate friction between their channels to make customer experiences as convenient as possible. For example, a customer might browse and purchase a product online, pick it up in-store and return it using their mobile app. Certain features, such as BOPIS and buy online return in-store (BORIS), are expected to increase.
Decentralizing these online operations into separate but consistent channels offers more flexibility and creates a more positive shopping experience. Omnichannel is now a fundamental consumer expectation, and retail businesses can take advantage of this approach to increase sales and customer loyalty. Currently, only 24% of marketers felt they were successfully implementing omnichannel personalization, down from 35% the previous year. This approach could be even more important as social commerce and content become more vital for retail marketing.
15. Supply Chain Resilience
A seamless supply chain can be the determining factor in whether products are delivered at the right place at the right time. However, as consumer expectations continue to grow, businesses will need to strengthen their supply chain resilience to keep up. They must keep up with the demands of modern retail by maintaining a balance between inventory, cost and customer service.
For example, Walmart has navigated supply chain volatility by unloading ships at less busy ports and opening new fulfillment centers with automation technology to enable faster order processing. The North Face effectively met increased consumer demand during the pandemic by shifting its in-store inventory entirely online.
Over the next few years, the need to easily adapt and recover from consumer and economic turbulence cannot be overstated. Facilitating flexible responses, increasing product circulation and improving demand forecasts are innovative ways businesses can build supply chain resilience.
16. Digital Payment Solutions
Digital payment options are popping up everywhere. From grocery stores to farmers markets to health care facilities, mobile wallets and other digital methods are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, 73% of consumers prefer digital payments, including peer-to-peer and in-app options. Additionally, 63% of consumers feel digital payments are more secure, while 70% prefer to receive electronic and digital payments.
Customers can simply tap their credit card or use their smartphone at the cash register to pay for their products and services, making transactions much faster and more convenient. Retailers are starting to meet this demand by adopting a variety of payment options to cater to customer preferences. As new innovations emerge, retailers will need to take advantage of digital platforms that enable them to meet changing customers’ needs.
Why It Pays to Stay Ahead of Retail Marketing Trends
For the foreseeable future, marketers in the retail world can expect to see current trends in the retail industry, including:
- Blending the online and offline shopping experience with the use of VR and AR.
- Using shoppable content on social media to reach new audiences and make products accessible.
- Employing AI in the form of drones and other devices to fulfill orders.
- Partnering with influencers to create eye-catching content.
- Selling directly to consumers in an attempt to eliminate the middleman.
- Striving to offer same-day delivery.
- Listening to customers’ concerns about social causes while adjusting to meet their needs.
- Prioritizing customer experience and personalization.
- Moving online to match e-commerce demands.
- Implementing more subscription-based models.
It always pays to be ahead of the curve. As a retail marketer, you want to attract customers in cutting-edge ways. Because merchandising trends can change at the drop of a hat, you should ensure your brand is ready to keep up. Using custom temporary displays from Creative Displays Now helps you showcase products in an attention-grabbing way, so customers know exactly where to go to pick up the items they want.
Increasing accessibility is huge in retail, as consumers want a quick, personalized shopping experience. However, you also want to anticipate what’s next for your customers’ interests, so having a way to change up a display in mere seconds gives you a significant advantage. As a result, your customers can find what they need and go on with their day, just as they want.
With endless customization options, you can ensure your product displays always look great — and catch your customers’ eye from the start.
Remain Ahead of the Curve With Creative Displays Now Temporary Displays

Creative Displays Now designs, prints and manufactures high-quality product displays and specialty packaging for retail stores. We have an in-house team of more than 60 experienced retail display experts with over 60 years in the industry.
We help retail stores manufacture corrugated cardboard POP displays and specialty packaging, including case stacker displays, floor displays, power wing displays, counter displays, brochure holders and pallet displays that help them adjust to retail development trends quickly and easily.
Check out a few reasons why our clients love working with us:
- We use recyclable materials like corrugated cardboard, made from post-consumer waste to protect the environment.
- We design and manufacture temporary displays to help retailers maintain design, product and market flexibility.
- We offer fast delivery to meet our clients’ ever-changing needs.
- We create custom displays to ensure clients have eye-catching, attractive displays.
Contact us online or call 1-855-284-6922 to discuss your retail product display needs so we can help you stay on top of the current trends in the retail industry.