The eCommerce sector continues to expand by ~10% each year as more consumers shift their purchasing habits online and seek faster and more convenient digital experiences.1 This growth is also accompanied by increasing competition, making it essential for businesses to understand how technology is shaping customer expectations.
As these expectations evolve, organizations need to stay informed about emerging tools and approaches to respond effectively, maintain service quality, and keep pace with broader market dynamics.
Discover the top 15 eCommerce technologies in personalization and customer engagement, operations and efficiency, and payment systems:
eCommerce technologies for personalization and customer engagement
1. Chatbots and Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs)
Chatbots and intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) can be effective for engaging with customers and reducing engagement costs.
By leveraging natural language processing and machine learning, these tools can handle customer inquiries in real-time, providing personalized shopping experiences and improving customer service.
Sales chatbots and IVAs can perform the same functions across websites, mobile applications, and messaging services like WhatsApp.
Imagine purchasing in a physical store. Salespeople inform customers about the advantages of the products, display alternatives and complementary items, and may offer advice to help customers make decisions.
Real-life example:
ProProfs provides an eCommerce-focused live chat solution designed to increase sales, qualify leads, and support customers around the clock.
The platform includes tools for proactive engagement, such as personalized greetings, real-time visitor monitoring, and automated announcements for promotions or product updates. Its features, including customizable chatbots, pre-chat forms, and integrations with CRM, help desk, and email marketing systems, enable businesses to automate lead capture, streamline support processes, and reduce cart abandonment.2
Real-life example:
PrintAbout, a printer and printing supplies company, faced challenges in customer inquiries during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the increased demand and manage customer service, they collaborated with Watermelon to implement an AI-powered chatbot named “Printy.”
Printy is designed to handle common questions about products like ink, toner, and paper. By drawing information directly from PrintAbout’s website, blogs, and FAQs, the chatbot operates 24/7.
The chatbot ensures customers receive immediate assistance, even during high-traffic periods. Its ability to recall prior conversations enables Printy to provide consistent, personalized responses over time.
The chatbot now manages approximately 90% of PrintAbout’s customer interactions, handling around 1,200 queries each month. This integration has reduced the load on traditional customer service channels, such as email and phone, while improving overall response time and customer satisfaction.3
2. Email marketing
Email marketing tools for eCommerce enable online businesses to design, automate, and deliver email campaigns directly to their consumers.
Email marketing for eCommerce involves sending customized messages, promotional content, and transactional information to targeted audiences to increase customer engagement, drive sales, and build brand loyalty.
Real-life example:
Previously reliant on generic, non-segmented campaigns, Dukier faced low relevance and inefficiencies. By implementing Omnisend’s automation, segmentation, and localized messaging across five languages, the brand achieved substantial gains: a 525% increase in revenue attributed to Omnisend, with 55% of that revenue driven by automated workflows such as Welcome, Abandoned Cart, and Lead Capture sequences.
Segmented campaigns further contributed to growth, supported by strong engagement metrics and minimal list fatigue, including a 0.36% unsubscribe rate.4
Real-life example:
Livrarias Curitiba, an online store in Brazil, used GetResponse’s customizable drag-and-drop editor to create personalized marketing emails, landing pages, and websites, boosting revenue by 200%. Additionally, they leveraged A/B testing and email analytics tools from GetResponse to improve and optimize their email campaign performance.
3. Image search engines
Google image searches make up more than 22% of all queries, according to SemRush.5
Customers can use Google Images to search for products by capturing images and performing reverse image searches to find related photos, a feature that enhances the online shopping experience.
eCommerce businesses can leverage this technology by uploading optimized images for each item in their online stores. By adding informative titles and alt texts to these photographs, businesses ensure Google search crawlers understand the image content, improving their Google rankings and increasing customer engagement.
4. Mobile apps
According to recent studies, around 60% of eCommerce sales are conducted on mobile apps, and having a custom mobile app can be highly beneficial for eCommerce technology.6 As seen in Figure 1, the general trend suggests that mobile commerce will be even more present in the near future.
Customers can interact with your brand continuously through apps and learn about fresh, valuable purchasing opportunities. Additionally, mobile apps provide customers with a simple check-out process.
Figure 1: Sales channels mobile vs desktop comparison.7
5. Recommendation systems
Employing recommendation systems is an essential part of effective eCommerce strategies, as approximately 30% of consumers are willing to pay more for things that are suggested to them.8
The aim is to enhance customer engagement by offering personalized shopping experiences based on customer data. These systems use machine learning to analyze online purchase and browsing behavior, enabling e-commerce platforms to tailor marketing campaigns and improve customer satisfaction.
By integrating into mobile apps and progressive web apps, recommendation systems improve customer service and loyalty, driving business growth and e-commerce sales.
The overall benefit of recommendation systems is higher engagement rates and boosted sales.
Recommendation systems can also integrate with pop-ups to alert users about discounts or unattended carts. Thus, eCommerce businesses can reduce site leakages and cart abandonment.
Real-life example:
AB Tasty’s Recommendations solution is an AI-powered product recommendation engine designed to increase revenue, average order value, and conversions by delivering personalized suggestions throughout the customer journey.
The platform enables marketers and eCommerce teams to deploy 1:1 recommendations, cross-sells, bundles, and complementary products without developer support. AB Tasty ingests and analyzes product data in real time, integrates with existing CMS and marketing systems, and allows recommendations to be placed across websites, mobile apps, emails, and other automation channels.9
6. Social commerce
Social commerce is the integration of eCommerce processes directly into social media platforms, enabling users to discover, engage with, and purchase products without leaving the app or site. With almost 19% of total online sales, social commerce has become highly significant for eCommerce businesses.10
This merging of social media and online shopping leverages the power of social networks to drive sales through social interactions, influencer collaborations, and user-generated content.
Social commerce use cases:
- Instagram shopping: Features shoppable posts and stories, as well as a dedicated “Shop” tab where users can browse and buy products.
- Facebook Shops: Allows businesses to create customizable online stores on Facebook and Instagram, with integrated checkout.
- TikTok shopping: Enables brands to add product links to videos and partner with influencers to promote products.
- Pinterest buyable pins: Users can purchase products directly from pins they discover on Pinterest.
7. Virtual reality
Another disadvantage of eCommerce vs. offline stores is that customers cannot try products before purchasing. Virtual reality technology solves that issue by creating 3D artificial environments that users can explore and interact with. With virtual reality technology, customers can virtually try out products and arrange furniture in their homes.
Real-life example:
The British shirt manufacturer Thomas Pink launched Fits.me, a virtual reality online sales platform. By entering their body size, clients may use the virtual reality platform to see how well the shirt fits them. Thomas Pink observed that the program led to increased sales.11
eCommerce technologies for operations and efficiency
8. Sustainability solutions
Sustainability solutions for eCommerce are designed to reduce the environmental impact of online retail operations.
These solutions aim to address issues such as carbon emissions, waste production, and resource depletion while promoting eco-friendly practices throughout the supply chain.
Sustainability solutions for eCommerce companies include eco-friendly packaging, carbon-neutral shipping, waste-reduction initiatives, product takeback programs, and sustainable logistics, such as electric and hybrid delivery vehicles.
Real-life example:
Pela, a phone case manufacturer and eCommerce business, outlines a sustainability strategy centered on measuring, reducing, and offsetting its environmental impact across the lifecycle of its plant-based phone cases and accessories.
The company’s 2022 carbon footprint assessment incorporates both direct and indirect emissions from product manufacturing, and Pela offsets these emissions through verified carbon credits to maintain Climate Neutral Certification.
Compared with conventional plastic products, Pela’s materials generate significantly fewer emissions, require less water, and produce substantially less waste. The brand’s ongoing reduction initiatives include optimizing transportation through additional distribution centers, expanding its Pela 360 recycling and circularity program, and supporting manufacturing partners in transitioning to renewable energy and more efficient operations.
Pela also collaborates with other companies by supplying its bioplastic materials to help reduce their environmental impact, reinforcing its broader mission to promote corporate responsibility and sustainable product design.12
Real-life example:
Amazon has made significant improvements in sustainable packaging by reducing single-use plastics by 11.6% in 2022 and implementing paper-based and flexible packaging solutions.
The company has also expanded its electric delivery vehicle fleet. It aims to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 as part of its commitment to reaching net-zero carbon by 2040.
These efforts have reduced material waste and carbon emissions and supported Amazon’s environmental efforts and customer engagement.13
9. Supply chain visibility software
The entire supply chain processes, from delivery to warehouses, can be managed using supply chain visibility tools. These systems automate invoice issuance and track inventory.
While automating supply chain operations, supply chain visibility software also helps generate reports that aid decision-making. They generate financial reports, and some supply chain management systems can calculate a company’s and a product’s carbon footprint.
As a result, you can identify your current carbon emissions pain points and take steps to strengthen your environmental, social, and governance (ESG) posture, ultimately increasing your sales.
For instance, a PwC survey revealed that more than 75% of consumers consider firms’ ESG policies before making a purchase (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Shoppers that are concerned with ESG practices of businesses.14
To learn more, check out definitions and best practices for sustainable management.
10. Warehouse automation technologies
Warehouse automation provides the following benefits:
- accurate scheduling of intermediate goods and final products,
- optimal inventory management,
- easier financial/environmental reporting, and
- carbon footprint reduction.
eCommerce technology enables the automation of warehouses with the following technologies:
- Internet of Things (IoT): Smart lighting and HVAC systems optimize product storage conditions while minimizing energy costs. Thus, you can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 4% while reducing waste.
- Intelligent automation: This technology automates order processing by using NLP to read, comprehend, and convert orders into machine-readable formats. Following that, RPA shares the data with the inventory management software and generates a shipping label based on it.
- Collaborative robots (Cobots): Cobots can work around the clock, package and palletize products, and augment your workforce.
11. Web scraping
Web scraping is the process of extracting data from websites using a scraping bot or web scraping API. The technique can be advantageous for eCommerce businesses since these companies produce:
- Customer data,
- Product data, and
- Financial data.
Leveraging web scraping initiatives can be beneficial for companies since they:
- Enable price comparison with competitors to stay competitive,
- Provide insights on customers’ purchase behavior and find in-demand products,
- Determine special users such as whales that bring significant income,
- Support execution of targeted ads,
- Conduct customer sentiment analysis.
See eCommerce Scraper APIs for more.
Real-life example:
Bright Data scraping services collect public data from targeted websites. It allows companies to choose scraping frequency, such as real-time or scheduled. Scraped data is delivered in the desired format.
Bright Data provides datasets that require no programming or technical expertise, allowing users to skip data scraping and obtain the data directly.
12. AI-driven price monitoring tools
In highly competitive marketplaces, immediately changing pricing to match rivals’ can also significantly impact conversion rates and help you pounce on small margins.
Using dynamic pricing tools, you can instantly evaluate your prices by comparing them with competitors’ prices, as well as your stock levels and delivery policies.
With this knowledge, it is feasible to manually adjust sales figures or, more frequently, set up the virtual store so that prices are adjusted in response to changes in the competition. These strategies help your eCommerce company stay competitive.
eCommerce technologies for payment systems
13. Check-out free systems
eCommerce technologies and customer data are not only optimizing the online sales experience but also the in-store retail experience. Check-out free systems allow customers to make in-store purchases without queuing by utilizing the following technologies:
- Computer vision,
- Machine learning algorithms,
- Smart sensors,
- E-wallets, or custom mobile apps.
Real-life example:
ALDI introduced ALDIgo, a checkout-free shopping experience, marking the first deployment of checkout-free technology in a full-size U.S. grocery store.
The system uses computer vision to detect and track products without requiring changes to store layout, enabling shoppers to exit without scanning items or waiting in line. Customers can pay at a Grabango pay station using a card or the Grabango app, while traditional checkout remains available.
Both companies emphasize the significance of the launch: Grabango highlights its ability to retrofit standard stores, and ALDI frames the initiative as part of its ongoing commitment to efficiency and customer experience.
ALDIgo integrates with everyday grocery shopping, including fresh foods and weekly staples, and reflects the retailer’s broader efforts toward convenience, innovation, and sustainability.15
Real-life example:
Amazon Go is a network of stores operated by Amazon that use no traditional cash registers. The stores use sensors, cameras, and AI to monitor what customers pick up and automatically charge their Amazon accounts as they exit. This system helps eliminate the need for checkout lines and makes shopping easier.
The video below demonstrates how Amazon Go (Amazon’s checkout-free system) works.
14. Cryptocurrency payments
Cryptocurrency payments use digital currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum to facilitate transactions. These payments leverage blockchain technology to provide a secure, decentralized, and often faster way to transfer value than traditional fiat currency systems.
Typically, cryptocurrency transactions have lower fees compared to traditional payment methods, especially for international transactions.
Since all transactions are recorded publicly (blockchain), cryptocurrency payments ensure transparency and traceability.
15. E-Wallets
An “e-wallet,” or digital wallet, is connected to a person’s bank account and used for online purchases on a computer or smartphone.
The two primary components of an e-wallet are software and data information:
- The software component secures and encrypts the personal information.
- The data component includes a database containing information users have supplied, such as names, shipping addresses, preferred payment options, required payment amounts, and credit or debit card information.
E-wallets have three main benefits:
- Enhanced security,
- Support the payment process, thus reducing cart abandonment and
- Ease of refund, which takes a few seconds.
For more on successful pricing, read eCommerce Price Monitoring.
💡Conclusion
To compete effectively in the eCommerce sector, smaller businesses must adopt technologies that address key areas: customer engagement, operational efficiency, and payment systems.
Personalization tools, such as chatbots, recommendation systems, and social commerce features, help improve the customer experience and increase customer retention.
Operational technologies, including warehouse automation, supply chain visibility software, and sustainability initiatives, support cost control and align with consumer expectations on environmental responsibility.
In payment systems, innovations like checkout-free solutions, e-wallets, and cryptocurrency options respond to changing customer preferences and purchasing habits.
Together, these technologies form a practical set of solutions that businesses can implement to enhance performance, meet consumer demands, and achieve sustainable growth.
Reference Links
Cem's work has been cited by leading global publications including Business Insider, Forbes, Washington Post, global firms like Deloitte, HPE and NGOs like World Economic Forum and supranational organizations like European Commission. You can see more reputable companies and resources that referenced AIMultiple.
Throughout his career, Cem served as a tech consultant, tech buyer and tech entrepreneur. He advised enterprises on their technology decisions at McKinsey & Company and Altman Solon for more than a decade. He also published a McKinsey report on digitalization.
He led technology strategy and procurement of a telco while reporting to the CEO. He has also led commercial growth of deep tech company Hypatos that reached a 7 digit annual recurring revenue and a 9 digit valuation from 0 within 2 years. Cem's work in Hypatos was covered by leading technology publications like TechCrunch and Business Insider.
Cem regularly speaks at international technology conferences. He graduated from Bogazici University as a computer engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
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