The year is 2025. Are we finally on our way to a new era of growth for online businesses? According to the statistics, yes. According to the E-Commerce Index, Finnish digital commerce turned to growth in the third quarter of 2024. (source) We predict that this development marks the end of the downward slope that online retailers have experienced in recent years.
We have compiled the hottest topics for 2025.The trends are in line with previously identified themes related to accessibility, growing B2B digital commerce, corporate distinctiveness, artificial intelligence, and user experience. In addition, new EU regulations will require action.
1. Investing in digital commerce accessibility – a new directive comes into force in June 2025
Digital commerce accessibility is a hot topic right now, with online stores required to meet the standards of the accessibility directive WCAG 2.2* AA by June 2025. This is not only a legal requirement, but also a business opportunity. Investing in accessibility expands the customer base and improves the user experience, which in turn increases customer loyalty and conversion rates.
In practice, the new accessibility directive means that online stores must provide written descriptions of products, accessible navigation, and sufficient contrast level, among other things. The online store must also have a separate accessibility statement that describes the current level of accessibility of the store and any shortcomings.
You can read more about this in our blog, and download our guide, which explains the main requirements of the Accessibility Directive. We at Pinja provide digital commerce Accessibility audits that allow you to easily find out the level of accessibility of your store in relation to the requirements of the digital law. The audit is carried out by our certified expert!
2. The growth of B2B digital commerce continues
The shift of B2B business to digital channels is one of the most significant changes in digital commerce in the 2020s. Gartner has previously predicted that 80% of B2B sales will take place online by 2025. (Source)
We are now in that year, and more and more B2B merchants are enabling their customers to order online. The Adobe Commerce platform and its extensions provide many of the capabilities required for B2B online commerce, including the management of customer-specific pricing, a subscription model for easy re-ordering, and comprehensive payment and delivery methods, even for international distribution.
At Pinja, we have further developed the tools used for B2B digital commerce by creating functionalities that streamline the management of B2B customer levels and orders, as well as the creation of product ranges specific to customer groups. Read more about the capabilities here. Headless/composable commerce architecture solutions also enable a better end-user experience.
3. Harnessing artificial intelligence in digital commerce is on the rise
The use of artificial intelligence in digital commerce has made significant progress, and will continue to do so in 2025. For example, artificial intelligence can facilitate product information management: automatic translations for different markets enable fast and accurate production of localized content in the brand’s own tone of voice. In addition, artificial intelligence can analyze inventory levels and product shelf life, allowing products to be highlighted based on expiration dates, for example. In packaging, AI can help optimize collection routes and improve the efficiency of the process. Read our guide for more tips on using artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence can also be used for dynamic price optimization. One example is Google Automated Discounts (GAD), which optimizes prices based on demand, competitors, and customer behavior. GAD pricing is managed in the Google Ads platform and the prices are visible to customers in Google Shopping ads. We have received extremely positive feedback from our clients about the impact GAD has had on digital commerce sales.
Want to learn more? Book an appointment to discuss using artificial intelligence in your digital commerce!
4. Refine your differentiators and communicate them effectively to your target audience
Ads from billion-dollar Chinese companies are everywhere on social media and Google. The giants have taken over the paid advertising platforms with their huge budgets, and it is almost impossible to compete with their prices. The EU is preparing regulations but it may take a while before they enter into force. So how do you compete with them?
In Paytrail’s E-commerce 2025 webinar, Leevi Parsama, chairman of the board of our partner Digital Commerce Finland Oy, summarizes that the playing field of digital commerce has divided into two markets: a price-driven efficiency market and an emotion-driven importance market.
As an online retailer, you should think about which market it is realistic to compete in. Are the resources sufficient for a price-driven efficiency market, or should differentiating factors be found elsewhere and invested in their communication?
Take the plunge and create distinctive content!
Online retailers can differentiate themselves from the competition by creating personal brands for themselves and their staff, as well as a personal tone of voice. Creating distinctive content in social media can bring a lot of visibility and be noticed in other media as well. This visibility should be used to increase digital commerce traffic and, ultimately, sales.
Our client Lähdesmäki, a furniture store, is a prime example of this. They have created catchy and humorous video content ion social media to accelerate their sales during the peak season and increase awareness. Lähdesmäki’s most popular video has already been viewed half a million times on social media and the family-owned business has seen its November sales double compared to 2023.
Urjalan Makeistukku is another company that relies on a personal tone of voice. They trust their unique and bold way of addressing their audience. This has led to wide visibility in various media. For example, their position on the increased sugar tax became a phenomenon and a topic in Verkkouutiset and the TV show Kovan viikon ilta. You can read more about the cooperation between Pinja and Urjalan Makeistukku here.
5. Easier online payments
The Click to Pay system is designed to streamline the payment process and improve the shopping experience in digital commerce and mobile platforms. The standard is developed by international credit card companies such as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
Customers only need to enter their credit card details once at the cardholder portal, and then can make purchases with the click of a button at any online store that accepts the payment method. Click to Pay is expected to become common in digital commerce in 2025.
6. Promoting sustainable development – EUDR, DPP, and GPSR
The EU has been drafting new and revising its existing regulations with the common goal to improve product durability and safety. Here are brief summaries of the regulations that affect online retailers:
- EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
The EUDR is a regulation that aims to stop deforestation and forest degradation around the world. The regulation affects companies that import or export certain commodities to or from the EU, such as timber, beef, soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, and rubber. (source)
Read more in Pinja’s blog.
- Digital Product Passport (DPP)
The digital product passport (DPP) is a digital product identifier that contains all relevant data of the product’s life cycle, from manufacturing to recycling. The product passport contains data about the origin, materials used, and environmental impact of the product. The data included in the product passport will help consumers make more sustainable choices and help companies improve the sustainability of their supply chain.
The DPP is expected to become mandatory between 2026 and 2030. Implementation will start in sectors with high environmental impact, such as textiles and electronics. (source) In digital commerce, the regulation will not only affect the store, but will also require changes to product information management and ERP systems so that the product passport can be added to product information in multiple systems.
- General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)
GPSR, or the general product safety regulation, is a new core piece of EU product safety legislation. It modernizes general product safety legislation and addresses the new challenges that digitalization brings to product safety.
The aim of GPSR is to ensure the safety of all products. It aims to meet the challenges of increasing sales through digital commerce and especially online platforms, and to ensure that rules are better followed and monitored. (source).
7. Online alcohol sales – the law may change in summer 2025
The Finnish government has proposed an amendment to the law that would allow the ordering and delivery of alcoholic beverages from Alko and shops, restaurants, and gas stations with a retail sales permit. In practice, the amendment would allow online stores and home deliveries of alcoholic beverages. For home deliveries, a separate delivery permit and passport would be required. The online store must verify the age of the customer with strong authentication and again upon delivery.
The law was originally scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025, and will be phased in so that most of the provisions related to the delivery permit will take effect about five months after the law takes effect, on June 1, 2025. (Source)
The digital commerce trends of 2025 show that the evolution of technology and legislation will bring many opportunities and challenges for online retailers – remember to keep up!
Read more
Headless ecommerce – the key benefits for online retailers
Making digital commerce accessible by 2025 – what you need to know about the changes to the Digital Services Act
Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento 2) – Benefits and Modern Opportunities
eCommerce solutions at Pinja
