A new report says the growth rate of ecommerce is slowing as it matures, while consumer expectations for seamless delivery and returns are higher than ever. ShipStation’s parent company Auctane and research firm Retail Economics surveyed 8,000 consumers and 400 large ecommerce businesses in November for its 2025 Ecommerce Delivery Benchmark Report.
While Gen AI and digital transformation of supply chains/logistics is a top growth drive for ecommerce (55%), merchants say adopting to AI and emerging technologies is a major challenge (31%), according to the report.
Top five growth drivers for ecommerce in 2025
Gen AI and digital transformation of supply chains/logistics: 55%
Expanding presence on online marketplaces: 46%
Social Commerce: 46%
Tailored Experiences: 44%
International Expansion: 42%
As the ecommerce industry matures, existing merchants find that increasing online competition is a major challenge – as is increasing online competition and rising operational and fulfillment costs.
ShipStation expects a social commerce boom and says leveraging social commerce will be essential – “businesses should integrate shoppable content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram to engage digitally-savvy consumers.”
In addition, “Expanding into marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy will allow businesses to broaden their reach while streamlining fulfillment operations.”
You can download the full 2025 Ecommerce Delivery Benchmark Report on the ShipStation website to read more about challenges and opportunities and its advice on how to grow as ecommerce evolves.