Knowledge Base
Commerce Trends 2026
Added by: Thomas v.Last updated: 2 weeks ago
Tags
Industry Information
Visibility
workspace
Key topics
AI ShoppingCross-borderRetail MediaSustainability
Summary
Squarespace's research on the forces shaping commerce in 2026, covering AI-assisted shopping, cross-border growth, and rising acquisition costs. Useful source material for data-backed positioning and merchant-facing content.
Sections
1. AI in the buying journey
Shoppers increasingly start with AI assistants and conversational search, pushing merchants to structure product data for discovery beyond traditional SEO.
2. Cross-border demand
International selling continues to grow, making localized pricing, currencies, and fulfillment a competitive requirement rather than a nice-to-have.
3. Rising acquisition costs
Paid channel costs keep climbing, so brands are leaning on retention, owned audiences, and retail media to protect margins.