10 years of Amazon trends: Looking five years back and five years forward
Who are the white rabbits we’re chasing into 2025’s Wonderland? Image by wirestock on Freepik
The pace of change in eCommerce over the last five years has been extraordinary.
Driven by both technological innovation and terrible forces like the pandemic and global recession, the change is bittersweet to reflect on.
But reflection is worth it, if we can use the trends over the last five years to predict where our industry is headed.
We spoke to several industry partners about the most significant trends in Amazon selling over the last five years, and what the big trends are likely to be between now and 2030.
The most significant trends of the last five years
Better access to data, and more advertising options, are probably the two biggest Amazon trends over the last five years.
Past trend 1: The growth of ads
The increase in both choice and complexity of Amazon ads has been pretty dramatic. Ten years ago, most sellers could master Sponsored Products with basic keyword targeting. Now, there’s a choice of Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, Sponsored TV and Amazon DSP, as well as advanced data tools like Amazon Marketing Cloud and Amazon Marketing Stream.
Joe Shelerud, from AdAdvance, says: “These ad types and tools open up incredible opportunities, but they also require a much deeper understanding of strategy and execution. The landscape is now packed with options, features, and data points. It’s a playground for data-driven advertisers, but it also demands a higher level of expertise to truly excel.”
As for Sponsored Products, this beautiful format has reached a level of maturity approaching saturation, according to François Costa de Beauregard, of m19. He says: “What are the potential impacts?: Rising CPCs and an increased emphasis by Amazon on upper-funnel solutions like DSP and AMC. This shift could pave the way for more traditional international brands to emerge as major advertisers on the platform.”
Past trend 2: The growth of data
The enormity of Amazon and the rising level of complexity requires a magic ingredient to ensure advertising is effective: data.
Over the last five years Amazon has revolutionised the way advertisers can access and unlock customer data, with AMC giving us access to incredibly granular information on how, when and where to target our customers: the result is “unprecedented precision”, says Jeff Cohen of Amazon Ads.
He adds: “AMC exemplifies this evolution, transforming from a simple measurement tool into a sophisticated platform that allows advertisers to uncover new audiences and understand the full impact of their ads beyond traditional metrics like ACOS and TACOS. This shift has empowered advertisers to reach a broader range of potential shoppers more efficiently and effectively, while maintaining privacy standards.”
Past trend 3: Video and AI
e-Comas’s founder and CEO Jérôme de Guigné says: “Another big trend is the growth of video across Amazon, and that includes Prime Video as well as Sponsored Brand video and video content in listings.
“And AI, of course: connect the two together and you have an amazing acceleration machine. Finally, Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), with access to so much more data to drive accuracy and efficiency.
“So there’s more data, more technology, more advertising opportunities: it’s becoming Alice’s Wonderland, a world of infinite possibilities. But who is the white rabbit then, I wonder?”
Past trend 4: The changing landscape
The marketplace of Amazon has seen some significant changes.
Firstly, it’s more brand-conscious: Amazon is keen to leverage its individual sellers’ brand power, which is why we have so many free brand-building tools like Brand Store, A+ content and Amazon Posts.
On the other hand, the domination of bigger brands makes it harder for small businesses to compete. But Amazon has done a lot to combat this, democratising its tools to give all sellers a chance to shine.
Joe Shelerud says: “When I began selling on Amazon in 2014, it felt like the Wild West. Success largely depended on figuring out the system and scaling fast, with quantity and visibility driving results. Fast forward to today, and the game has shifted dramatically.
“Success for smaller brands today isn’t about outspending competitors; it’s about outsmarting them. By leveraging tools like Sponsored Ads, DSP, and AMC strategically, and making data-driven decisions, smaller brands can carve out their niche and thrive – even in a crowded marketplace.”
Jeff Cohen agrees that the brand marketing landscape on Amazon has undergone significant democratisation. He adds: “This shift is primarily driven by Amazon Ads’ full-funnel advertising capabilities, which are now accessible to brands of all sizes and budgets, allowing even small businesses to leverage powerful tools like streaming TV ads.
“Furthermore, the integration of generative AI in advertising has revolutionised content creation, enabling sellers of all scales to produce high-quality ad assets efficiently.”
Predicting the future: big trends for the next five years
AI, in fact, looks set to be one of the biggest trends of 2025, according to just about everyone we asked.
Future trend 1: SimplificAItion
If the past five years have been all about adding more complexity in advertising options, tools and data, says Joe Shelerud, the next five will be about shifting towards simplification – driven by AI. “Automation and smarter technology will make it easier for advertisers to navigate these tools without sacrificing precision,” he says.
Dan Brownsher, from ChannelKey, says one of the biggest trends in the years to come will be “the continued proliferation of AI, focused around tools, Amazon’s personal shopping assistant [RUFUS] and a more curated shopping experience facilitated by AI.”
Future trend 2: SustAInability
Our founder Jérôme says: “Technology and AI is only getting started. The tailoring part will become breathtaking: serving what you want or need even before you know you need it – but not in a creepy way; in a way that will make people consume what they need.
“What would be amazing is AI that also helps prevent waste, creates greener deliveries, and helps consumers to better consume – not over-consume.”
Future trend 3: Data consolidation
Data is, of course, a big trend for the future: Dan Brownsher reckons hyper-focus on ad attribution along the entire buying cycle is coming.
As data becomes bigger and more complex, it becomes more siloed across different retailers; Joe Shelerud thinks this will become a focus for the industry, with the goal of allowing advertisers “a seamless, multi-retailer strategy.”
Future trend 4: Growth markets on Amazon
Joe Shelerud predicts that two markets on Amazon have the most opportunity for growth: higher-margin products, and those that drive repeat purchases.
He says: “Higher-margin products allow sellers to invest in brand-building, which is critical for long-term success. Consumable products or those with repeat purchase potential offer significant growth opportunities thanks to their consistent demand and the ability to create personalized, scalable marketing campaigns.”
Jérôme de Guigné agrees; he says: “It’s always been the smaller high-value goods, like electronics, that have the highest margins and tend to do really well on Amazon. There’s no reason for that to change: commerce is after value generation.
“On the other hand, fashion has never been Amazon’s strong point, but is now starting to see major growth, so we predict that’s going to get big. It’s no coincidence that Amazon’s Christmas ad for 2024 focused on a smart evening jacket.
“Tied to fashion is eco-friendly products: more and more, shoppers are wanting to buy sustainably, and Amazon makes that pretty easy.”
One final prediction from Joe Shelerud: in a competitive landscape, brand power is increasingly important. “Those that rely on product features or price alone, instead of brand, will continually be pushed towards the bottom,” he says, “due to the direct-from-the-manufacturer trend driven from Temu, Shein and now Amazon Haul.”
A very happy and prosperous 2025 to all our customers and friends in the eCommerce industry. Let’s chase those white rabbits into Wonderland!