Is eCommerce in the UK a complementary tailwind to retail?
For decades, a narrative has been propagated that eCommerce is affecting physical retail. But that threat is starting to recede. We have reached a stage where eCommerce has become a beneficial part of retail in the UK.
What are the trends in 2026 that verify this fact?
In 2026, UK eCommerce will be driven by Agentic AI, conversational commerce, and hyper-personalised customer experiences powered by clean, unified data. Businesses are embracing composable platforms, social and live commerce, O2O strategies, and subscription models to stay agile and meet evolving customer expectations.
At the same time, ecommerce development services are enabling brands to build scalable, flexible digital ecosystems that seamlessly connect online and offline touchpoints. From AI-driven automation and advanced personalisation to user-generated content and next-gen loyalty programs, competitive advantage will belong to businesses that innovate faster and deliver smarter experiences.
Do you want to learn more about this? Let’s go.
Trend 1: Agentic AI Boosting Assistive AI
Artificial Intelligence has been used by eCommerce teams for a long time. They are using AI for automation, product personalisation, and other functions. This is backed by the fact that the AI-driven eCommerce market was around 8.65 billion USD in 2025.
However, in 2026, predictive and generative AI will be the guiding force behind the eCommerce transformation in the UK. This will offer greater advantages in terms of efficiency and personalisation scaling.
The above survey shows the usage of AI in different aspects of eCommerce businesses.
More than generative AI, Agentic AI can revolutionise eCommerce in the UK. It can help by:
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24/7 personalised shopping assistance and customer service
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Crafting large catalogues that must be updated frequently
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Categorise and write specific descriptions
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Improve product pages
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Improve eCommerce SEO
Trend 2: Business Prioritising Harmonization and Data Management
For any business, data is the most important asset. It is the foundation of exceptional customer service. That’s because it helps businesses understand their customers and their behaviour. For that, data needs to be kept clean and organised.
This is where data harmonisation and management come in. Plus, data management is crucial to AI innovations in UK e-commerce. Data suggests that 90% of professionals say that data management practices are partially or completely aligned with their AI innovation goals.
What is data harmonisation?
Data harmonisation is the process of unifying data from different formats, columns, and dimensions into a distinct dataset.
So, data management and data harmonisation go hand in hand. For instance, think of your CRM and order management systems. Unifying data from both these sources can provide a comprehensive view of your business activities.
With this dataset, you can gain valuable insights and uncover opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Trend 3: Customer Interactions Enhanced with Conversational Interfaces
Gone are the days of robotic interactions with AI chatbots. Complicated eCommerce websites and frustrating website experiences are obsolete now.
No one wants to visit an eCommerce site that feels like that. Today, customers want meaningful interactions and engaging experiences.
Gen AI chatbots and Large Language Models have made conversational eCommerce in the UK possible. NLP makes it easy and intuitive for customers to issue commands and find what they need, simplifying navigation.
In 2025, 20.5% of the global population actively used voice search. That’s close to 1 in 5 individuals, and this is going to go more than that. So, voice search is on the rise.
Voice commerce is already transforming eCommerce in the UK. Alongside, Gen AI chatbots and text-driven shopping assistants will handle the entire customer journey in 2026.
But there are some rules that you need to follow when integrating AI chatbots in your business. Otherwise, you will be penalised by the government.
Learn more: AI Chatbots Out of Control: What You Need to Know!
Trend 4: Composable eCommerce to Stay Flexible and Agile
Businesses scale with time. And, when you move fast, you ought to be flexible. That’s why businesses are adopting composable eCommerce in the UK.
What is composable eCommerce?
Composable eCommerce is the form of eCommerce that enables you to build your eCommerce stack from interchangeable and specialised components.
Composable eCommerce helps you avoid getting stuck with a single tool. Getting locked with specific eCommerce tools can restrict your business growth, making scaling next to impossible.
With composable eCommerce, businesses in the UK can blend conventional and modern solutions for inventory management, payments, checkout, and personalisation.
Trend 5: Improved Shopping Experiences with O2O Commerce
It doesn’t matter whether your customers shop in your retail store or online. Every customer wants an exceptional experience. With Online-to-Online (O2O) commerce, you can remove this divide between online discovery and physical buying.
This creates a smooth customer journey where customers can avail what’s best for them. For instance, customers can research online and try them with immersive technologies like AR. Then, they can buy the product online and pick it up from a store (Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store; BOPIS)
This is a part of an approach known as unified eCommerce.
Trend 6: Improvement in Social eCommerce
People are almost always online on social media. In 2026, the number of active social media users is around 5.6 billion. And, businesses in the UK want to be where their audience is. This makes social media a solid platform for attracting customers.
Social eCommerce has gained considerable traction these days. In social eCommerce, simple “Swipe Shopping” is slowly being replaced by a highly personalised AI-driven shopping experience.
Emerging tactics like live streams (shopping), influencer-driven storefronts, and immersive technology-powered filters are revolutionising the social eCommerce platforms.
Trend 7: Live eCommerce will Blend Entertainment and Shopping
Suppose you are watching a live stream. In that stream, you can interact with the host and explore products. You can also get good deals. This is called live eCommerce.
Live eCommerce in the UK is transforming how we shop online and discover great products. Brands are using these streams to launch products. They are also endorsing limited-time offers, exclusive access, and flash sales that create a sense of FOMO and urgency among users.
Live eCommerce in the UK is a perfect blend of personal touch (in-store assistance) and the comfort of online shopping. Viewers can also interact effectively with the host.
Trend 8: Personalised Loyalty Programs
Customer attraction and retention are equally important for any business. So, you always have to find new ways to ensure your existing customers are happy.
This way, they will continue being loyal to your brand. Loyalty programs can help you with that. Forbes reports that more than 90% of organisations have some loyalty program.
What’s the most important key to a successful loyalty program? It’s personalisation. In 2026, the generic “Buy 3 Get 1 Free” won’t work as a loyalty program for eCommerce in the UK.
AI-powered tools can create loyalty rewards based on purchase patterns and user behaviour. Instead of standard reward points, you can offer your customers customised perks, such as discounts, early access, or other benefits.
Trend 9: UGC (User Generated Content) Will Grow
About 79% of online shoppers say user-generated content influences purchase decisions. Why do users rely on UGC when shopping online? It’s because:
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Adds credibility
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Adds authenticity
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Social proof
Businesses can leverage Gen AI to create collateral featuring UGC that showcases brand love and product reviews. This can be extremely valuable for an eCommerce site by adding authentic experiences and real opinions.
Trend 10: Expansion of the Concept of Subscription
Subscriptions aren’t only for niche markets anymore. Today, they are found everywhere. Be it food and beverage or clothing and apparel, subscriptions are revolutionising the eCommerce landscape.
Subscriptions can transform single purchases into revenue streams for eCommerce businesses. They also offer customers enhanced benefits, such as automated deliveries and discounts.
Keeping up with these trends is more important than ever!
There is a strong possibility that these trends will evolve fast! But your tech stack should adapt to changes quickly. One thing is clear. Either you evolve, or you skip countless opportunities.
Do you want to know more about how to adapt to these trends? Webskitters Ltd. is here for you.
Book a call with us and make your eCommerce game stronger than ever before!
