Consumer Trends 2025: How AI Is Reshaping Online Behavior and the Future of the Shopping Cart

The digital shopping landscape is shifting fast. According to VML's Future Shopper 2025 report, which surveyed more than 25,000 consumers across 16 countries, today's shoppers are more demanding, more cautious and far more impatient than ever before.

At the same time, artificial intelligence is quietly moving from a helpful tool to a decisive force in how products are discovered, evaluated and added to the shopping cart.

A More Careful, More Anxious and More Demanding Shopper

Economic and political instability is shaping how people behave online:

• 66% say political events make them concerned about their financial future.
• 60% are delaying major purchases.
• 92% now rank price as the #1 factor when shopping online.

Consumers are thinking twice before clicking “Buy.” Caution is the new normal—especially in Europe, where shoppers demand transparency, reliability and fair pricing. As VML's Neil Dawson notes, “Every purchase is a considered purchase.”

Online Shopping Growth Slows: Welcome to the Age of Omnichannel

After years of rapid expansion, global online spending has hit a plateau. E-commerce remains at 53% of total spend—exactly the same as in 2024.

Forecasts are also more conservative: the five-year outlook has dropped from 60% to 57%.

Why the slowdown? Because shoppers don't want to choose between online and offline. They want both.

• 62% prefer brands that offer physical stores and online options.
• Nearly half research online and buy offline (or the reverse).

In Europe, this blended behavior is even stronger. Traditional retail isn't dying—it's becoming a key node in a true omnichannel strategy. As Ben Geheb from VML puts it, “It's not about being everywhere—it's about being in the right place”

AI Becomes the New Shopping Partner (and Gatekeeper)

AI use is exploding, and not just for fun or productivity:

• 68% of consumers worldwide have tried AI tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini.

Their shopping use is still early, but growing:

• 3% use AI for inspiration
• 5% for research
• 4% for product search

The big shift? More than half (52%) want a personal AI shopping agent—a digital assistant that compares prices, filters choices, and buys the best option automatically.

This marks a turning point. If AI becomes the main decision-maker, visibility won't depend only on SEO or ads anymore—it will depend on whether you make it onto the AI's shortlist.

Or as AI expert Nadji El-Arifi warns:

Marketplaces Lose Some Power as Shoppers Mix Their Sources

Marketplaces like Amazon and Alibaba remain hugely influential, especially during the search and inspiration phase. But their dominance is slipping:

• Marketplace share has dropped from 29% to 22% in one year.
• In Europe, shoppers increasingly pair marketplaces with local retailers or brand websites.

This shift signals a rise in local trust and a greater desire for direct brand relationships.

Digital Experience: Still the Biggest Pain Point

Despite the investment brands have poured into digital, many still struggle to deliver a smooth online experience:

• 50% say brands don't understand what customers want online.
• 46% are surprised by how poor the digital experience can be.
• 45% abandon carts out of frustration.

Personalization also remains a double-edged sword. While 63% discover new products through personalized recommendations, many feel brands aren't doing personalization well enough—particularly in Europe, where accuracy and clarity are expected.

The “Two-Hour Economy” and the Rise of Extreme Expectations

Today's consumer wants everything now:

• 32% expect delivery within two hours
• 40% won't order without a same-day option
• 58% want faster transitions from inspiration to purchase

VML calls this phenomenon compressed commerce. Consumers call it: “I want it now—or not at all.” Logistics and speed are no longer perks—they're decisive differentiators.

What Brands Need to Do Next

To stay relevant in 2025 and beyond, brands must focus on four key areas:

• Put the customer's emotions at the center
• Acknowledge concerns about inflation, digital overwhelm and security.
• Build smarter omnichannel ecosystems
• Don't be everywhere—be everywhere that matters.
• Prepare for AI-driven commerce
• Optimize content, product data and visibility for AI-driven recommendations.
• Prioritize speed and simplicity
• From site navigation to delivery options, friction is no longer acceptable.

The Bottom Line: Tech + Human Connection is The Future of Commerce

Consumers want the best of both worlds: efficiency and empathy, personalization and simplicity, fast delivery and trustworthy brands. Those who can strike that balance will lead the next decade of digital commerce.

As Jeff Geheb of VML Enterprise Solutions puts it: