Download the full 2026 eCommerce Trends Report here.

This free industry report outlines industry perspectives and expert advice from our team of retail consultants. You can view an excerpt of the report below, and if you’d like to discuss any of the above trends or other challenges in the eCommerce space, connect with our team today.

Key eCommerce Trends

Successful commerce strategies in 2026 will be built around flexibility, connected experiences, and intentional investment. Whether through AI-driven personalization, composable architectures, omnichannel journeys, or hyperlocal fulfillment, the brands that pull ahead will be those that align technology decisions with real customer needs and measurable business outcomes.  

By taking a thoughtful, phased approach grounded in data, experimentation, and a clear understanding of their shoppers, organizations can position themselves to adapt quickly and compete effectively in an increasingly dynamic retail landscape. 

Clarkston’s retail consultants have highlighted the top eCommerce trends that businesses should consider and keep top-of-mind throughout the year:

1. AI-Driven Personalization & Automation
2. Composable & Headless Commerce Architectures
3. Omnichannel & Mobile-First Experiences
4. Hyperlocal Fulfillment & Supply-Chain Agility

Trend 1:

AI-Driven Personalization & Automation

As we move into 2026, AI-driven personalization and automation are becoming central to how brands design the shopping experience. Retailers and CPG companies are now using AI throughout the customer journey, from product discovery to support and repeat purchases.  

What once required manual effort or generic messaging can now be automated and tailored to each shopper, making strategies such as customized promotions, predictive pricing, dynamic content, and AI-powered customer service feasible at scale. These features are true difference makers: 65% of eCommerce brands report higher conversion rates after implementing personalization strategies. Together, these AI-driven capabilities enable eCommerce businesses to deliver the same, and in some cases greater, personal touch and support that previously only in-store experiences could afford. 

Beauty brands provide a clear example of this shift. Companies are using tools like Revieve to guide shoppers through personalized routines and product bundles based on individual skin or hair needs. Historically, this level of guidance was exclusive to in-person retailers, like Sephora’s beauty advisors, but AI now allows online shoppers to receive similar experiences at home and on-demand. These personalized journeys encourage customers to add more items to their carts and often increase overall order value. 

As AI becomes more accessible, organizations must still approach it with intention. The brands that see the most value are those that align AI investments to clear use cases tied to specific business goals, such as improving conversion, strengthening loyalty programs, or protecting margin.  

Before launching new tools, organizations should assess data quality, establish ethical guidelines for customer data management, and run short pilot programs – such as 90-day test-and-learn cycles – to measure early results and scale AI initiatives with confidence. The competitive edge in personalization in 2026 and beyond will go to the organizations that are able to master their data management and adaptively pursue new AI-enabled programs.

Trend 2:

Composable & Headless Commerce Architectures

While composable and headless architectures have been on the rise, as we enter 2026, we’ll see them more than ever. Retailers are increasingly shifting from monolithic platforms to modular, API-first headless architectures, which help them gain agility and enhance their ability to launch new channels quickly and easily, from mobile to voice. 

Headless architectures decouple the front end from the back end, helping promote more flexible overall experiences. Composable architectures take customizability to the next level by treating every aspect of the commerce platform (e.g., cart, search, payments) as independent, allowing organizations to create systems with the best of the best for every function.  

Because of this customizability, both headless and composable architectures are known for helping organizations pivot quickly and create new features, while also allowing them to assemble the best parts of eCommerce through flexible, modular components. Organizations are no longer locked into a single vendor for key capabilities like search or payments; instead, they can mix and match solutions tailored to their specific needs.  

In 2025, retailers such as Shoe Carnival adopted headless, composable architectures as they sought to update product assortments and introduce new styles more frequently. That said, headless commerce isn’t necessarily fit-for-purpose for every organization. It remains important to assess a brand’s needs, technical maturity, and long-term goals before making the shift.  

Organizations should also understand how widely headless adoption exists within their industry to gain perspective on the competitive landscape. As businesses begin this journey, conducting a readiness assessment of the current commerce stack – paired with a thoughtful eCommerce vendor selection  – can help identify where modernization will deliver the most value. 

Continue reading by downloading the full report below.

Download the Full 2026 eCommerce Trends Report Here

Read last year’s eCommerce Trends Report here.