Must-know retail shopping trends (online & offline)
Retail customers don’t think in channels. They scroll Instagram on the bus, check stock on retail sites, walk into a store on Saturday and order from the sofa on Sunday night. That journey is already happening. The question is whether retailers are set up to support it.
And yes, technology fuels these modern transitions, but the best retailers have a “people-first” mindset. It’s not a case of automation replacing human interaction but enhancing it.
Subscribe to TRBAs Ryan Llewellyn-Pace, Founder and Chairman of Hay Life Clothing, puts it:
“Technology should only ever be viewed as an enabler and “people like dealing with people”.
Product alone also doesn’t close the deal anymore. If your returns process is painful, the delivery options are limited, or the site doesn’t remember what someone browsed last week, they’ll go somewhere that does.
That means retailers can’t afford to think about online and offline as separate problems. The trends shaping retail right now – omnichannel and mobile commerce to AI, social selling and shifting loyalty expectations – all play out across both. Here’s how each one lands in practice, and what it means for retailers trying to keep up.
Retail shopping trends: Online vs Offline comparison
Here’s how retail shopping trends play across online and in-store and what it actually looks like on the ground.
| Trend | Online shopping trend | Offline shopping trend |
| Omnichannel | Seamless browsing, buying, fulfilment, and returns. | Stores as part of the wider retail environment. Ie. click-and-collect and returns for online orders. |
| Mobile commerce | Browsing and purchasing on the smartphone. Ie. seamless Apple Pay. | Mobile support for navigating the store & making decisions. Ie. QR codes in a store for sizing or reviews. |
| Social commerce | Social platform product exposure & immediate purchase. Ie. TikTok Shop or Instagram | Social trend driven store visits and product trials. Ie. Popular on TikTok displays |
| AI | Personalised recommendations & automated service. Ie. AI product recommendations | Automation of routine tasks, stock and operations. Ie. AI demand prediction & stock placement |
| Value | Ease of comparing online retailers, prices & offers before choosing the best deal. | Value based on service and real life experience. Ie. staff and product availability. |
| Sustainability | Demand for ethical delivery and transparent sourcing. Ie. slower delivery & less packaging | Demand for visible, eco-friendly retail practices. Ie. refill stations or clearly labelled sustainable ranges |
| Loyalty | App-based rewards and tailored offers. Ie. personalised discount through retailer’s apps | Connected in-store rewards and recognition. Ie. earning and redeeming loyalty points in store |
| Business models | Growth through online shopping, markets & subscriptions. Ie. sales via website & Amazon | Growth through store fulfilment and experiential shopping. Ie. use of stores for events, demos & local fulfilment |
Omnichannel is no longer optional
The biggest retail shopping trend right now and the future of the retail shopping experience is the shift towards fully connected shopping: the omnichannel approach.
Glynn Davis suggests that retailers need to walk before they run with such technology and points to the situation that omnichannel retailing still involves many companies operating with separate, siloed retail and e-commerce teams.
Consumers expect retailers to know them, and know what they are doing when shopping online, be it browsing, looking up store inventory, picking up an order, or making a return.
For customers, this feels basic and essential. To retailers, that requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work that includes systems, stores, e-commerce teams and supply chains, and they all have to be involved.
Retailers who manage to pull this off end up with experiences that feel smoother for their customers, have better conversion, fewer drop-offs and overall happier customers.
Online retail shopping trends are increasingly mobile-first
Mobile has become essential in online retail shopping and is one of the most important online retail shopping trends. People use their phones to shop on the go, often completing purchases on mobile devices with flexible payment options. They do it while they commute to work, during their breaks, while watching TV or even when standing in another shop. Many retailers use mobile experience as their primary bridge to customers.
Some retailers still struggle with the basics like slow pages, awkward navigation, complicated checkout or limited payment options, and these shortfalls can quickly result in losing sales. Mobile commerce needs to be in tune with shopping habits and provide customers with speed, ease and flexibility when it comes to their mobile devices.
Social commerce keeps growing
Social commerce is an online shopping trend that has grown exponentially in the last few years and it is changing how people find their products and buy them. It isn’t uncommon for people to find their products through creators, short-form video, live shopping, and social content. Social platforms are not used for marketing alone; they are becoming places where people make their shopping decisions.
Nearly half (45%) of Gen Z learned about products from influencers, compared to only 21% of total shoppers.
The interesting part of this trend is the possibility for social content to push people into shops, encourage them to try products or create interest around a specific new launch, bringing the online experience and brick-and-mortar shops together.
Retailers that do this well tend to understand the full customer journey. They know that inspiration, trust, and conversion often happen across different channels.
AI is becoming part of everyday retail
For a while, AI felt like something retailers were testing in the background. Now it is becoming much more practical.
As Glynn Davis puts it “ Retail leaders are absolutely sure they need to invest in AI and platforms are ready to respond to the growing demand”
An example of this is Serve First, the AI-driven customer experience and performance management platform, which has secured £5 million in new funding from Pembroke VCT and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II through fund manager Mercia Ventures.
In practice, retailers are using AI to sharpen product recommendations, improve on-site search, run customer service chatbots, forecast demand, and speed up operational decisions.
On top of that, generative AI is assisting with internal efficiency, product descriptions, service replies, and content.
The true value of AI doesn’t lie in adopting it because it is the new shiny object. It is in simplifying, speeding and tailoring things. By spending wisely, you can enhance customer experience, move teams to take action immediately, and empower more data-driven decision-making.
But, technology alone is insufficient. Retail is still human; trust, empathy and service still matter, especially in terms of customer loyalty.
As James Rutter (COOK) says, AI should provide information to shop floor teams to “open up the space to be more human”.
Value still matters, but shoppers define it differently
Many shoppers still shop around, comparing prices closely before purchasing. But value these days encompasses more than seeking the lowest price.
Shoppers are also considering quality, convenience, speed, trust, delivery, returns, and how easy the entire experience is. It’s true across the broader commerce landscape, whether someone is shopping online or in person.
For retailers, that means a race to the bottom on pricing rarely tells the whole story; the stronger strategy is to make the offer feel worth it.
Sustainability is becoming part of everyday shopping decisions
More shoppers are increasingly conscious of sustainability, though it is not always the primary reason for a purchase. Along with other factors like price, ease of use, and reliability, the new eco drive is starting to factor into consumers’ overall evaluations of brands.
Sustainable practices in retail can manifest in all sorts of ways, including eco friendly packaging, delivery options, and the sourcing of items sold , resale or refill options, or simply how transparently a retailer communicates what they are doing.
This approach also goes back to supply chains. When retailers try to cut down on waste, speed up delivery, and make better business choices, they often help the environment and their bottom line.
Loyalty is becoming more personal
As acquisition costs increase, retaining customers is more important than ever. That’s why customer loyalty remains a major theme in retail.
Earning points, vouchers or codes is no longer a priority. Reward redemption needs to be relevant, personalised, and something customers feel is truly valuable.
Retailers are using data-driven solutions to provide customised offers and help create more integrated engagements across stores, applications and e-commerce. When done well, loyalty reinforces the entire customer experience and leads to repeat purchases in a way that feels organic as opposed to forced.
Retailers need more flexible business models
Retailers don’t have the luxury of remaining inflexible because retail is changing too fast, and their methods need to change alongside it. The rise of flexibility in business models is one of the most significant retail shopping trends today.
The need to be nimble and respond quickly is something that Maria Hollins, Managing Director at Ann Summers knows all too well.
Market challenges can appear out of nowhere, from changes around who can search for what online to major algorithm tweaks changing the landscape overnight. Brands will fail to stand out in a crowded market if they don’t plan a change soon.
Depending on the retailer, new models could involve::
- Marketplace Strategy: Rhea Fox, former Ted Baker digital director, ascribes to using marketplaces to reach cross-pool customer sets at the “greatest level of profitability.” She cites collaborations, like those with the Next marketplace, as hugely important for reaching wider audiences without the overhead of independent expansion.
- Social Commerce: Continuing to invest in social selling to connect with consumers on the platforms where they already spend their time
- Fulfilment Innovation: Using physical stores as localised locations for speedy online order delivery
- Hybrid Experiences: Experimenting with subscriptions or exploring new ways to combine physical and digital touchpoints.
The trick is establishing a model that adapts as consumer behaviour shifts, not chasing every new method. For retailers to stay relevant, they must change with the times so that their underlying structures are dynamic rather than static.
Final thoughts
Retail trends are increasingly overlapping. Customers expect the shopping experience to be simple, connected and relevant regardless of whether they are shopping online from their couch or in a store. Which is why what goes on in e-commerce doesn’t just matter to e-commerce, it affects retail in general.
Retailers need to adapt to this rapid change while remaining grounded in what matters most to the customer. That should translate into better experiences, practical generative AI use, stronger supply chains, maximising social commerce and putting customer experience at the heart of business model decisions.
Retail will keep shifting. But the retailers who’ll win are the ones who stop organising around channels and start organising around how their customers actually behave.
Want to explore the trends shaping the future of e-commerce retail in more depth? Join industry leaders at Retail Ecom Connect.
