Ecommerce is evolving at speed. From the rise of agentic commerce and answer engines to the explosion of AI-driven personalisation, businesses are under pressure to adapt to changing consumer behaviour or risk being left behind.
Customers expect seamless shopping experiences across every channel, whether B2C or B2B, while new technologies continue to reshape how discovery, purchase and fulfilment are delivered.
Here, Commerce’s general manager for EMEA, Andrew Norman, shares his insights on consumer behaviour in 2025 and beyond, the role of AI and how businesses can remain competitive in an era of unprecedented disruption.
What are some of the key trends driving the need for more connected solutions in commerce right now?
Many of the trends aren’t necessarily new, but they’re becoming far more amplified. Customer behaviour is evolving rapidly, especially with the acceleration of agentic commerce. Shoppers now expect to buy wherever, whenever and however they want. At the same time, expectations around discovery, purchase, shipping and returns continue to rise.
This creates both challenges and opportunities for brands, retailers, manufacturers and distributors. While B2C buyers tend to set the pace, B2B customers are now demanding similar levels of speed, choice and convenience. For any business, the aim is clear: be present in as many relevant channels as possible. The execution, however, is complex and often limited by systems, processes and data.
Can you expand on how exactly consumer behaviour is changing?
The biggest shift we’ve seen in recent months is the move from search engines to answer engines. Traditionally, businesses optimised for websites, social channels and marketplaces. Those remain important, but we’re now seeing massive disruption from agentic platforms, especially in North America, which is now starting to expand in the EMEA market too.
Consumers are beginning their discovery and purchase journeys in entirely new ways. Instead of searching, they’re asking AI-driven engines for direct answers and recommendations. That shift has been dramatic in the last six months alone. For businesses, the opportunity remains the same: be present everywhere your customer is, but the methods and requirements are evolving fast.
AI is clearly central to this transformation. Why is it becoming such a critical tool in ecommerce and retail?
Broadly, AI is being adopted in two ways. First, internally: businesses are using AI to harness data, optimise operations and deliver richer, more personalised customer experiences. This includes everything from sales and marketing to customer support.
Second, on the external front: agentic commerce. The shift from search to answer engines is fundamentally changing how customers discover and buy. We’re already running beta programs in EMEA with early adopters. As with any disruption, there are early movers, the majority who follow, and laggards. But the shift is underway – and it’s quickly becoming an arms race to stay ahead.
Given this pace of change, what do businesses need to do to stay competitive?
I’d bring it back to three things: people, processes and technology. You need the right team with up-to-date skills. Hiring for ecommerce roles is tough, but vital. Then, strong business processes are key. Making sure in-store and online align to the experience your customers expect.
Finally, technology. Businesses often choose tools that meet today’s needs but later hold them back. Success depends on selecting complementary partners that evolve with you, rather than constrain you. No single vendor solves everything, so assembling the right ecosystem is critical.
You’re currently in a period of transition, what was the vision behind creating Commerce as a parent brand and what new opportunities does this create?
We’ve built and acquired several strong businesses over the years, which initially operated separately. Now, our vision is to bring them together into a unified suite of AI-driven, complementary solutions.
Customers can choose to use one product or the full suite. For example, Feedonomics is heavily deployed even by some of our competitors, but we’re now integrating it more closely with BigCommerce. Ultimately, customers and partners will deal with one company and one team, creating a more seamless experience.
What practical changes will customers notice in the coming 12–18 months?
Integration. Products will work together more smoothly, and the purchasing, implementation, and support journey will become more unified. Instead of dealing with multiple teams, customers will increasingly interact with one support structure.
We’re also investing heavily in services – discovery, implementation, ongoing support – so customers feel guided throughout the journey. The aim is to make engaging with us seamless from start to finish.
Every business has competitors. How do you differentiate?
These partnerships reflect where the industry is heading. We believe agentic commerce is the biggest change in our space in decades. In North America, 40–50% of traffic has already shifted from traditional search engines to agentic platforms in just six months.
Our partnerships are about getting ahead of that shift – enabling customers to transform and syndicate their data so they can thrive in this new environment. It’s both a reflection of industry disruption and our response to ensure our customers stay competitive.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of commerce?
Personally, I find the customer experience side most exciting. As a shopper, the idea of using answer engines to discover products in a more personalised way is incredibly powerful.
As a business, being able to deliver that experience for our customers and partners and keep them at the forefront of disruption is what motivates us. Agentic commerce is a huge positive opportunity and we’re determined to help businesses make the most of it.
Ecommerce is evolving at speed. From the rise of agentic commerce and answer engines to the explosion of AI-driven personalisation, businesses are under pressure to adapt to changing consumer behaviour or risk being left behind.
Customers expect seamless shopping experiences across every channel, whether B2C or B2B, while new technologies continue to reshape how discovery, purchase and fulfilment are delivered.
Here, Commerce’s general manager for EMEA, Andrew Norman, shares his insights on consumer behaviour in 2025 and beyond, the role of AI and how businesses can remain competitive in an era of unprecedented disruption.
