Ecommerce, with style.
Sell products the fashionable way — with more flexibility and ready for growth.
Key takeaways:
Fashion ecommerce is booming. By 2026, fashion and apparel will make up nearly 20% of global retail sales.
Experience matters. Fast, easy, and personalized shopping drives real growth.
Modern platforms remove friction. Moving off legacy tech frees brands to scale and experiment.
Unified systems build focus. Running DTC, B2B, and omnichannel sales in one place saves time and resources.
Connection beats transaction. The best brands turn convenience into loyalty through trust and relevance.
Fashion has always been quick to evolve, and ecommerce has only sped that up.
Fashion ecommerce — the online buying and selling of fashion- and apparel-related products such as clothing, shoes, and accessories — has grown and evolved exponentially just over the last decade.
What used to be about style and storytelling in physical stores is now happening through screens, social feeds, and digital storefronts around the world.
In just a few years, online fashion retail has gone from convenience to expectation.
Shoppers don’t just want to browse; they want experiences that feel personal, seamless, and inspiring. And the growth reflects that. According to Statista, fashion and apparel will make up nearly 20% of total retail sales by 2026.
For brands, that means there’s real opportunity and real competition. The ones who stand out are finding creative ways to connect with customers and remove friction at every turn.
The following trends and strategies can help your brand do just that — by building an ecommerce experience that looks good and performs even better.
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Fashion ecommerce trends to follow
Solve customer pain points with AI.
Two of the primary reasons for ecommerce are its ease of use and convenience.
But today, more fashion brands are also harnessing its ability to make shopping experiences more efficient and personalized than ever.
Artificial intelligence (AI), most notably, has flipped the fashion industry on its head, allowing brands to modernize every corner of their businesses.
From predicting fashion trends to analyzing shopping behavior to optimizing the supply chain, there’s truly no limit to how AI can impact your fashion business.
AI chatbots: One of the most popular (and longest running) uses of AI online. Chatbots take specific inputs from a customer, such as "I want to return a shirt," and provide them with information on their request. This is a simple tool that many fashion brands can add to their ecommerce site with just a few clicks.
Virtual style assistants: Another popular AI feature in the apparel industry, these tools offer tailored style suggestions and product recommendations to help move customers closer to purchase.
But AI is moving beyond just assistants and chatbots.
A newer concept, agentic commerce, will be the next major disruption. This involves AI agents acting as a truly assistive, proactive personal shopper for the consumer, managing the entire shopping journey from discovery to loyalty, sometimes even executing cross-retailer transactions on the consumer's behalf.
This new form of commerce increases the importance of product data for generative search.
AI agents rely heavily on accurate, structured product descriptions and attributes to inform buying decisions.
To make your fashion products discoverable by these powerful AI shopping agents, you need to enrich your product catalog with granular attributes — like occasion, style, and performance features — that speak the language of both shoppers and algorithms.
Otherwise, even great products can remain invisible in these new discovery environments.
Closing the sale means offering flexible payment options.
There’s perhaps no experience as vital to the customer journey as checkout.
Even the smallest hiccup during the process can turn a sale into a lost customer for life. That’s why it’s so important for fashion ecommerce brands to offer the most seamless checkout experience possible.
For many customers, the best checkout experiences are the ones that offer flexible payment options.
In fact, 10% of customers will abandon their carts if they don’t see enough payment methods available. Focus on providing options such as digital wallet payments like PayPal or Apple Wallet, or one-click checkout options like Bolt.
One of the most popular new payment methods, especially within the fashion ecommerce industry, is buy now, pay later (BNPL).
Partnering with providers such as Klarna, Sezzle, and Affirm, apparel brands can encourage online shoppers to pay in installments without any added interest — leading to higher conversion rates, average order values, and sales.
Augment the shopping experience.
Estimated to reach $96 billion by 2029, the augmented reality (AR) market has been widely adopted by both online and brick-and-mortar apparel retailers.
Smart-fitting technologies now allow customers to find their perfect size by providing their specific measurements or inputting their typical sizes for other brands.
Other technologies go beyond this functionality, using 3D technology to display exactly what a product would look like on the customer.
By detecting the customer’s contour and letting them choose which clothing items they want to try on, AR fitting rooms provide a clear picture of the size, fit, and style of a product — all from the customer’s mobile device.
This ability to interact with products in real-time not only provides online shoppers with a more robust user experience, but also gives customers the confidence to pull the trigger on purchases that might initially be met with hesitation.
Shopping goes social.
The evolution has been gradual but apparent to anyone who spends time on social media. Over the past couple years, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have become more than just social media platforms — now they’re also hubs for social commerce.
In fact, 44% of consumers had purchased apparel and accessories three to seven times via social media. And by 2028, Statista estimates that 116.9 million US consumers will shop via social channels.
Thanks to the popularity of experiences like one-click checkout and live shopping, these channels are becoming more and more customer-friendly, making it seamless for customers to search for and purchase products.
In addition, social commerce has a low barrier, allowing fashion companies, both big and small, to enhance brand awareness, grow their audience, and offer a frictionless buying experience.
Sustainability remains a top priority.
For today’s online shoppers, sustainability is no longer just a buzzword.
According to a recent Statista report, over a third of US consumers stated that they were making an effort to buy fewer things in efforts to be more environmentally friendly, and a fifth were intentionally buying from eco-friendly brands.
In the midst of fast fashion brands like Shein and Zalando — which have long been criticized for their labor practices and negative environmental impacts — many fashion retailers are now turning to more eco-friendly practices, such as secondhand selling.
In fact, the global market for secondhand and resale apparel is expected to hit $288 billion in 2026, reaching $367 billion by 2029.
For more notable ecommerce fashion trends, check out BigCommerce’s report on Global Ecommerce Insights for Fashion Retailers.
Deciding if a technology trend makes sense for your ecommerce business
While everyone loves shiny new toys, it may not make sense for your business to drop everything and hop on the next tech bandwagon. Here are a few considerations to make before adopting a new ecommerce technology.
Costs.
Every addition to your business’s tech stack comes with a cost.
Sometimes that’s a monetary cost, like licensing fees or monthly costs for a software or service. Sometimes that’s a time cost, especially if you’re integrating a new software or tool into existing workflows.
Whatever the cost, it’s important for your business to determine whether or not that cost is worth the perceived value of the tool or service.
Business needs.
The tech industry is full of FOMO.
Some new technology pops up, is the flavor of the month, and then it completely disappears from conversation just as quickly as it came.
Sometimes, a new piece of tech might be exactly what you need.
That generative artificial intelligence copywriter might be a great optimization hack for your SEO team. A new augmented reality tool might really help with returns based on sizing. But some new technology might do more harm than good.
Don’t jump right on the latest trends and topics just because you don’t want to miss out. Jump on them because they make sense for your business.
Integrating with existing systems.
You’ve spent valuable time, money, and resources creating your existing tech stack. If you’re planning on bringing in a new tool or replacing an old one, then you’d better have a good plan in place.
How will this new integration impact others in your tech stack? How will it integrate, both on a business level and technically? Who will be in charge of managing or maintaining the tool?
You’ll want to do some rigorous research and testing before adding anything new to your tech stack.
How to enhance your fashion ecommerce experience
Trends shift constantly, but a thoughtful customer experience has lasting impact.
The most successful brands build ecommerce strategies that feel effortless for shoppers and sustainable for their teams.
Here we’ve highlighted a handful of marketing strategies that the best ecommerce brands have in common.
Personalize every step of the customer journey.
As research shows, personalization drives loyalty.
A 2025 Statista study revealed that fashion and apparel ranked as the top category in which consumers would prefer to have a personalized shopping experience (17%).
From digital ads all the way to checkout, customers expect every step of the buying journey to be relevant and tailored to their specific wants and needs.
For many of the top fashion brands like Nike, Zara, Asos, or Nordstrom, this often looks like personalized product recommendations, relevant discounts and offers, and targeted social content.
Connect the customer experience with omnichannel commerce.
The modern consumer doesn’t purchase from just one single location. Instead, they purchase from any number of locations, across both online stores and physical storefronts.
“Omnichannel has to do with, ‘How do you sell more, wherever your shoppers are?’” explains Sharon Gee, SVP of Product and AI at Commerce. “That means online to offline, third-party channels, wholesale, marketplaces, social commerce, ads driving to DTC, in-store, pop-up shop. It means wherever you hold inventory, wherever you sell, and however you fulfill.”
From social media to search engines and everything in between, it’s important that brands diversify their channel selection across both online and physical stores.
Marketplaces, for one, are some of the most important channels when it comes to product discovery and ecommerce sales. Amazon was the top online retailer in the US in 2024, capturing $143 billion in online sales.
Blend online and offline worlds with BOPIS and BORIS.
Perhaps two of the most critical pieces of the omnichannel puzzle are buy online, pick up in store and buy online, return in store — also known as BOPIS and BORIS.
Although not a new concept, BOPIS dramatically rose in popularity beginning during COVID-19 and has remained an attractive buying option as it provides the best of both worlds: the convenience of purchasing online and the immediacy of picking up in store.
Similarly, BORIS helps reduce the hassle of making returns online, allowing customers to return items easily and quickly in-store.
By implementing BOPIS and BORIS, brands can drastically improve customer experience, as well as open up opportunities to upsell or cross-sell when customers arrive at a physical store.
Leverage user-generated content.
What’s better than content you don’t have to create yourself? And better yet, it’s free?
User-generated content — commonly referred to as UGC — is certifying itself to be one of the greatest forms of social proof today.
This could look like customer reviews on your product pages, shared customer stories on Instagram or Facebook, or photos tagged with your brand’s hashtag.
Whichever way you choose, it’s evident shoppers want to know if products are worth buying from real customers and everyday consumers when it comes to fashion.
It also doesn’t hurt to get an influencer marketing partnership or two to help spread the word about your fashion products.
Help shoppers find their perfect fit.
One of the biggest challenges in online fashion is helping customers feel confident that what they see will look good on them.
When sizing feels uncertain, people hesitate, and hesitation leads to abandoned carts.
Brands can bridge that gap by bringing more clarity to the fit experience.
Clear, consistent size charts, model measurements, and authentic customer photos can make a real difference.
Some brands go further with virtual fitting tools or short videos showing how a garment moves or drapes. These small cues help customers imagine the product in real life and trust that they’re making the right choice.
Fit confidence does more than reduce returns — it builds credibility. When shoppers know they can rely on your sizing, they’ll come back again and again.
Turn your site into a destination for discovery.
Fashion shoppers rarely come looking for just one thing. They’re exploring — scrolling for inspiration, comparing styles, and imagining possibilities. Brands that recognize this can transform a simple online store into an experience people want to revisit.
Think beyond product grids. Integrate editorial-style content, trend lookbooks, or “shop the outfit” features that connect storytelling with shopping.
Pairing discovery with personalization — like recommending products based on browsing history or past purchases — helps your site feel curated rather than crowded.
When your ecommerce store feels like a place to explore instead of a place to transact, customers stay longer, engage more, and buy with confidence.
Fashion ecommerce sites to watch
Some fashion brands have found that sweet spot between style and seamless ecommerce — turning their online stores into experiences customers genuinely enjoy. Here are a few doing it especially well.
1. AS Colour.
When AS Colour outgrew Magento 1, they needed a single platform that could serve two very different audiences — direct-to-consumer shoppers and wholesale clients — without compromising the look and feel of the brand.
By migrating to BigCommerce, they gained the flexibility to manage both sides of the business on one system. Native B2B tools allowed for custom logins, price tiers, and customer groups, all while keeping the same clean, retail-quality experience.
The shift paid off quickly: the US store saw a 51% increase in site visits, 39% more orders, and a 45% boost in revenue.
2. White Stuff.
White Stuff’s legacy ecommerce platform was slowing things down — literally. Load times, mobile performance, and checkout friction were cutting into conversions.
Replatforming to BigCommerce with a headless, composable setup gave them the freedom to redesign for performance. The new site introduced one-page checkout, faster navigation, and a smoother mobile experience.
The impact was immediate: the site ran 85% faster overall, 100% faster on mobile, and conversions jumped 37%, with per-session value up 26%.
Rohan, known for its technical outdoor apparel, wanted a modern ecommerce experience that could match its brand ambitions. Their old system required constant fixes and limited innovation.
Using BigCommerce’s open APIs, they rebuilt their entire ecommerce stack — giving the team control over integrations, site design, and performance.
The result was transformative: a 1,218% increase in conversions, a 28% lift in engagement, and 77% more sessions per user.
4. Grenson.
For heritage footwear label Grenson, Magento 1 had become a drain on time and resources. Managing updates and manual CSV workflows left little room for creativity or growth.
Switching to BigCommerce gave them a faster, more reliable site and reduced maintenance costs, freeing up the team to focus on storytelling, marketing, and product innovation instead.
The qualitative impact was significant: less time fixing, more time building momentum.
The final word
The fashion ecommerce space isn’t slowing down, and neither are shoppers’ expectations.
They want ease, relevance, and a reason to connect with your brand beyond the product itself.
For apparel brands, success comes from building that connection — through thoughtful design, consistent storytelling, and technology that supports it all behind the scenes. BigCommerce helps make that possible by giving fashion retailers the flexibility to grow, experiment, and deliver seamless shopping experiences across every channel.
Fashion will always evolve. With the right ecommerce foundation, your brand can evolve with it, and stay a step ahead.
Learn more about how BigCommerce is transforming online shopping for apparel brands.
Fashion and apparel ecommerce FAQs
It depends. There are plenty of ecommerce platforms available for businesses of all shapes and sizes: BigCommerce, Shopify, WordPress, and Adobe Commerce, just to name a few. Each has their own unique pros and cons. It’s important to take your specific business needs into consideration before deciding on a new platform.
Talk to one of our ecommerce experts to see if BigCommerce is a good fit for your fashion business.
The fashion market is massive — and growing. According to CoherentMI, a marketing and research organization, the global fashion ecommerce market was valued at $691.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $1,627 billion by 2030.
Many factors go into a great fashion ecommerce site, but arguably the most important element is creating a memorable user experience — from product discovery to checkout. This could be through a user-friendly interface, high-quality images, detailed product descriptions, personalized recommendations, seamless checkout functionality, and responsive customer support.
Check out our Case Study page to discover more examples of fashion brands who are building unforgettable user experiences on BigCommerce.
Video and short-form content is a powerful way for fashion brands to connect with online shoppers on social media platforms like TikTok.
Video content allows you to showcase the fit, movement, and context of fashion products in a way that static images can't. By sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, styling tips, or even short "day in the life" stories featuring your apparel, you build a narrative around your brand and product, making the purchase feel less transactional and more aspirational.
Since customers can't physically touch the fabric on an online store, you need to use a combination of rich media and detailed copy:
High-quality close-up photography and video: Use high-resolution, zoomable images and video clips to show the texture, weave, and drape of the material in real-time.
Detailed product descriptions: Use evocative and precise language — words like "brushed cotton," "linen-blend," or "micro-rib knit" — and always include the fabric composition (e.g., 100% organic cotton) to set accurate expectations.
Customer reviews: Highlight reviews that specifically mention the high-quality or feel of the fabric, turning peer feedback into a trust signal.
Focus on radical transparency and exceptional customer experience:
Sustainability and ethical sourcing: Clearly document your supply chain, ethical labor practices, and materials. This builds trust with today's conscious consumer who is wary of brands like Shein.
Detailed product descriptions and sizing: Provide accurate fit information, size guides, and high-quality images to reduce returns and buyer's remorse, establishing reliability and functionality.
User-generated content (UGC): Encourage and prominently feature customer photos and reviews. Seeing real-time apparel on everyday online shoppers is a powerful social proof.
The post-purchase experience is the final, crucial step in building brand loyalty. It extends the feeling of the purchase:
Packaging: High-quality, branded, and sustainable packaging reinforces the premium feel of the fashion products and is highly "shareable" for UGC.
Follow-up: Personalized emails (e.g., care instructions, styling ideas) show you care about the product's lifespan and the customer's satisfaction.
Loyalty programs: Offering early access to new fashion trends or exclusive discounts incentivizes customers to return to your ecommerce store.
This data is an invaluable feedback loop for product development and optimization:
Returns data: Analyzing the reasons for returns (e.g., "Runs too small," "Color not as expected") provides actionable insights for your design team to adjust sizing patterns or improve color accuracy in online photos. It also informs your inventory team to adjust the ratio of sizes ordered in the future.
Review text analysis: Mining customer reviews for frequently mentioned keywords (positive or negative) can highlight a product's unexpected strengths or weaknesses, guiding future design iterations or informing the creation of better product descriptions on your ecommerce site.
Fashion Ecommerce
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