E-commerce in transition? Trends and challenges for retailers
How Douglas, Shopify, Kapten & Son/Charles and Google see the current market
Katja Laska/iXtenso
“Trends in E-Commerce 2025” - The topic brought together some of the industry's leading minds at a panel discussion at DMEXCO to talk about the future of commerce. Representatives from Douglas, Shopify, Kapten & Son/Charles and Google discussed the new challenges and opportunities arising from the use of AI, the rise of social commerce and the trend towards unified commerce. The focus was on the needs of customers: shopping should be possible anywhere and at any time, simple and personalized.
What do the experts see as crucial for 2025?
Douglas - Dr. Philipp Andrée: artificial intelligence for better customer experiences, but not “in your face”
“Customers don't want to see 3,000 products, they want to see the 3 that really suit them,” emphasizes Dr. Philipp Andrée, CCO of the Douglas Group. Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in this. It helps to tailor products to the individual needs of customers and thus provide more relevant recommendations. At the same time, the use of AI should remain as inconspicuous as possible. Andrée makes it clear: “Nobody wants to know that something was generated by an AI, even if it is perfectly tailored.”
Shopify - Linda Hoffmann: Unified Commerce as the key
Linda Hoffmann, Head of Partnerships DACH at Shopify, sees the linking of online and offline channels as a major challenge for retailers. “31% of the industry recognizes the benefits and necessity of linking different channels,” she explains. Because shopping has to be possible everywhere and it has to be easy. “The big trend and change is basically the 'Retail Everywhere' era, where the consumer or shopper expects to be in a store anytime, anywhere.” The focus should therefore be on offering customers a seamless shopping experience. The era of unified commerce is here, and those who rely on old ways will be left behind.
Kapten & Son/Charles - Artjem Weissbeck: the power of social commerce
After the pandemic, social commerce has become essential for many retailers, emphasizes Artjem Weissbeck, co-founder of Kapten & Son and Charles. Retailers should take advantage of the opportunities offered by social platforms and experiment with them to increase their sales. “If you are not mastering social commerce, you should get professional support - for example from specialized agencies,” recommends Weissbeck. Particularly worth mentioning: he sees WhatsApp as the second-largest channel for conversions and interactions after the company's own website.
Google - Livia Mitschke-Collande: Search is becoming increasingly individualized
According to Livia Mitschke-Collande, Industry Leader Retail at Google Germany GmbH, the technology company is observing changes in search behavior: More and more people are taking a more targeted approach to product searches and using more keywords. Voice search is also gaining in importance. In the future, searches will also become increasingly contextual: “If customers are currently in London and are looking for something, they also want to see location-based results.” Personalization is also important, but it needs to be implemented correctly. “If there is a gap, do something to fill the gap,” says Mitschke-Collande.
This discussion at DMEXCO clearly showed that retailers need to move in order to remain relevant for their customers. Only those who move with the times and understand the needs and behavior of customers can survive in this changing market in the long term.
