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The way consumers discover and buy products is changing rapidly. From browsing online marketplaces to discovering new products on TikTok and turning to AI for personalised recommendations, the traditional path to purchase is becoming less predictable.
At sync, Niels Floors, VP of Strategic Development at ChannelEngine, Giulia Yang, Growth & Strategic Partnerships at TikTok, and Jo Hunt, Head of Business Development at Debenhams, explored the three major waves reshaping eCommerce and what retailers need to do to stay competitive.
Marketplaces: Get the fundamentals right
Marketplaces account for an estimated 60–70% of global eCommerce, making them an important route to market for brands looking to reach established audiences and expand into new territories.
Debenhams is a prime example of how retailers can adapt to this shift, transitioning from a traditional department store to a marketplace-first digital business focused on offering customers greater choice.
But simply listing products isn't enough. As Jo Hunt explained, successful marketplace selling starts with getting the fundamentals right.
“You absolutely have to have a great product. That's where everything starts. You then have to get the pricing right.”
Accurate product descriptions, compelling imagery, consistent pricing and reliable availability all play a crucial role in helping customers find and choose products. Just as importantly, retailers need to ensure orders reach customers successfully.
The most successful marketplace sellers also continually review performance, respond to customer insights and test growth opportunities, including retail media, new product assortments and international expansion.
As Niels Floors highlighted, marketplaces can provide a valuable starting point for entering new markets, allowing brands to tap into existing customer bases rather than building awareness from scratch. However, understanding each marketplace's individual search algorithm and requirements remains essential to getting products discovered.
Social commerce: Turning discovery into purchase
While marketplaces help shoppers find products they already want, social commerce can create demand before a customer has even started searching.
TikTok is a clear example of this shift, bringing entertainment, inspiration and purchasing closer together.
Giulia Yang illustrated the point with a personal example: discovering M&S's new mango grapes while scrolling through TikTok. She wasn't searching for fruit or planning a purchase, but the content sparked her interest.
This is the key difference between traditional commerce and social commerce. Rather than moving from search to comparison and eventually purchase, consumers can discover something new and buy it within the same experience.
For brands, success depends on creating content that feels authentic, relatable and useful. Storytelling and human connection can help demonstrate a product's value in ways that traditional advertising may struggle to replicate.
Brands such as SharkNinja have shown how demonstrating products in real-life situations, experimenting with content and responding to trends can turn everyday products into compelling discoveries.
The opportunity is not simply to promote products on social media, but to give consumers a reason to want them in the first place.
AI-powered shopping: The next discovery channel
The third wave is generative AI and agentic commerce, where consumers are beginning to move beyond traditional keyword searches towards more conversational, personalised shopping experiences.
Instead of searching for a specific product, shoppers can explain what they need, their budget and even the style or feeling they're looking for. AI tools can then help narrow down options and make recommendations.
For retailers, this creates a new challenge: ensuring products are visible and understandable not just to human shoppers, but to the AI systems helping them make decisions.
High-quality product data, clear descriptions, accurate categorisation and strong imagery will become increasingly important. If product information is incomplete or inconsistent, brands risk being overlooked when AI recommends relevant options.
Although this technology is still evolving, retailers should start preparing now rather than waiting for AI-driven shopping to become mainstream.
What should retailers focus on next?
Across all three waves, the panel's message was clear: adaptability is essential, but strong fundamentals remain the foundation of success.
Retailers should focus on three priorities:
- Get your data right. Ensure product information, imagery, pricing and availability are accurate and consistent across every channel.
- Test, learn and evolve. Use AI tools to speed up experimentation, explore new markets and respond to changing customer behaviour.
- Listen to your customers. Use feedback from shoppers and creators to identify opportunities, improve assortments and develop products that meet emerging needs.
Ultimately, marketplaces, social commerce and AI-powered shopping shouldn't be treated as isolated channels. Consumers are moving between them, often discovering products in one place and purchasing in another.
Brands that maintain consistency while adapting their approach to each platform will be better positioned to capture demand wherever it emerges.
The future of eCommerce isn't about choosing a single winning channel. It's about understanding how discovery is changing, building the right foundations and being ready to meet customers wherever their shopping journey begins.
