Published: 2026 01 16

Updated: 2026-06-02

Swedish e-commerce in 2026 

– 5 key trends to watch

E-commerce is evolving quickly, not least in AI and automation. To keep up with new customer behaviours and technical demands, you need a clear view of the trends driving that change. We have reviewed the five most important trends that will shape e-commerce and show what they mean for you and what they require from your platform.

Summary:

E-commerce in 2026 is being shaped by five decisive trends. Conversational commerce is growing by 14.8% annually, and agentic commerce is expected to influence a third of all transactions by 2030. At the same time, 71% of B2B buyers, who are Millennials and Gen Z, expect B2C-style experiences. Composable commerce delivers 27% faster time-to-market, while AI and automation increase productivity by 30–45%. To keep up with these trends, you need open, flexible API-first platforms with support for AI integrations and Instant Checkout.

Trend 1: 

Conversational commerce – direct purchases via AI chats such as ChatGPT

Conversational commerce lets customers search for products, get recommendations and complete purchases directly in an AI service, without needing to leave the chat. It is already possible to complete direct purchases in ChatGPT via Instant Checkout, a feature powered by the open standard for AI commerce - Agentic Commerce Protocol.

This looks set to become one of the most disruptive trends in customer experience. A report from Future Market Insights predicts that the conversational commerce market will grow strongly, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8% over the next ten years. According to Gartner, 85% of companies will now test customer-facing conversational generative AI.

"Conversational commerce will change how consumers shop when they can go from idea to purchase without leaving a conversation. But for e-tailers to be part of that shift, platforms need to be agent-friendly – which means API-first architecture and support for Instant Checkout. Without that, e-tailers risk being left behind when the Nordic market takes the next step. This has recently launched in the US, and when OpenAI rolls it out in Europe too, Viskan is ready," says Kristian Iveling, CEO of Viskan.

This trend means e-commerce platforms need to be "agent-friendly", in other words API-first and with support for Instant Checkout, such as webhooks for order sync and tokenised checkout via a payment partner.

Conversational commerce via AI has not yet taken off in Sweden, but Nordic consumers are far ahead in both digital maturity and trust in AI-driven services. That makes the market ready when more payment and platform integrations become available. Viskan has already built a feed to meet this development, so our platform is ready when the payment solutions arrive.

Trend 2: 

Agentic commerce – AI agents that complete purchases entirely independently

The next step after conversational commerce is agentic commerce, where the AI agent does not just help with purchases, but acts independently within the framework set by the customer. From searching and comparing to deciding and buying, without the customer needing to visit any online shops or be active at every stage. Both Net Solutions and McKinsey believe agentic AI is transforming e-commerce, and Deloitte’s report The future of commerce in an agentic world predicts that close to a third of digital commerce transactions will be influenced by agent-based AI by 2030.

"With close to a third of digital commerce transactions expected to be influenced by agent-based AI by 2030, we are facing a fundamental shift in e-commerce. E-tailers that do not prepare their tech stack, product data and checkout flows now risk missing an entire generation of AI-driven customers," explains Kristian Iveling, CEO of Viskan.

This trend will reshape e-commerce in many ways. BCG sees both gains and challenges for e-tailers. Customers who use AI agents are 10% more engaged than traditional visitors and show stronger purchase intent. The challenges lie in reduced direct access to customers and increased dependence on intermediary platforms.

The Nordic e-commerce market is still more cautious than, for example, the US and China, where development is moving quickly (in the US, traffic from AI sites and services to American e-commerce sites increased by 4,700% between 2024 and 2025). But the Nordic market has digitally mature consumers with a high rate of AI adoption, as well as strong e-commerce infrastructure, so things could move quickly once agentic commerce gains a foothold here. Just like conversational commerce, agentic commerce requires open API-first platforms that allow AI agents and integrations with, among other things, order and payment APIs. What you can do as an e-tailer to be ready is prepare your tech stack as well as your product data and checkout flows so you are in a position to attract customers when they start expecting their AI agent to handle the shopping.

Trend 3: 

B2B becomes a B2C experience, while keeping B2B functionality intact

A generational shift is under way, with more Millennials and Gen Z becoming decision-makers in B2B companies. Today, 71% of B2B buyers belong to those generations. This shift also means a change in buying behaviour, where the new generation of B2B customers expects the same smooth buying process and self-service they get in B2C, but with B2B functionality such as customer-specific price lists, agreements and volume handling.

"71% of B2B buyers today are Millennials and Gen Z, and a third prefer to buy with no sales contact at all. B2B commerce is being redefined – the user experience needs to reach the same standard as B2C, while the underlying business logic retains its B2B-specific functionality. The businesses that manage to combine both in one smooth experience will win over the new generation of B2B buyers," notes Kristian Iveling.

Today, 73% of B2B buyers prefer to buy online, and a third of them prefer to buy with no sales contact at all, but a majority are frustrated by the B2B online experience and would switch to a supplier offering a better one. What they expect is the smoothness of a B2C experience, with an intuitive interface, personalised flows and fast order handling without needing to contact sales. At the same time, they want B2B functionality in the form of the right prices and discounts based on their agreements, as well as B2B-adapted payment options at checkout.

In practice, this trend means B2B commerce is moving from being a separate category to becoming part of the B2C experience. The difference lies in the underlying functionality, where the e-tailers that can combine B2B and B2C business logic in one smooth user experience are the ones best placed to satisfy the new generation of B2B buyers.

The Viskan E-commerce Platform brings both flows together and lets you sell to both customer groups in the same platform for more efficient e-commerce and a better customer experience. Read more about those opportunities in the article “Can I combine my B2C and B2B e-commerce in the Viskan E-commerce Platform?”

Trend 4: 

Future-proof architecture with composable and API-first as the key to growth

Composable commerce and API-first continue to be the obvious architecture for forward-thinking e-tailers that want a future-proof platform. According to the Composable Commerce Trends Report 2025, 80% of companies now adopt composable out of strategic necessity, and the Nordic eCommerce Trend Report 2026 stresses that modular technology is needed to meet demands for new functionality, AI integration and fast regulatory adaptation. There is also greater awareness of the complexity of composable architecture, which increases the need for solutions that offer flexibility built on a stable foundation.

"Composable users report 27% faster time-to-market for new features. In a world where AI commerce, personalisation and omnichannel are evolving at speed, the ability to add functionality without increasing complexity becomes critical. Viskan gives you that balance – a stable core that makes it easy to integrate third-party solutions that create real business value," explains Kristian Iveling, CEO of Viskan.

The platform’s technical foundation is now becoming an even more important competitive factor in handling the rapid development towards AI commerce, personalisation, omnichannel and combined B2B and B2C commerce. E-tailers working in open platforms built for flexibility can add new functionality faster (composable users report 27% faster time-to-market for new features) and be first to offer the features customers expect. To keep up with this development, you need architectures that can be expanded, not replaced. And composable solutions need to be easy to extend without increasing complexity.

The Viskan E-commerce Platform is built on the principle that you get a stable core that makes it easy to add third-party solutions that create value. From day one, you get the fastest e-commerce engine on the market with ready-made core features for CMS, PIM, OMS and customer management. You also get the flexibility to create additional value thanks to our open architecture and open API interfaces, which let you integrate the third-party solutions you need to meet new trends and requirements, without added complexity. Read more about how Viskan way of composable commerce gives you more flexibility without losing control of your e-commerce.

Trend 5: 

Using AI and data for better decisions and more efficient e-commerce

AI is not only changing the customer experience, but efficiency as well. Automation will turn analytics functions and dashboards into business-critical tools in e-commerce. For example, for stock optimisation and AI-driven forecasting. The clearest trends here in 2026 include:

• AI-driven demand forecasting. Here, machine learning is used to detect fast-moving patterns that traditional measurement methods do not catch in time. AI models then analyse key data such as sales, seasonal variations, campaigns, trends and external factors. That delivers more accurate real-time forecasts that help e-tailers optimise stock and reduce inventory costs, cut supply chain issues and increase growth.

• AI-based stock optimisation and supply chain automation. Here, AI calculates critical factors such as optimal reorder points, stock levels and placements based on order frequency, picking time, transport costs and demand forecasts. Automation is then used to control pick-and-pack sequences. According to McKinsey, early users of this technology have improved logistics costs by 15%, stock levels by 35% and service levels by 65%. Research from Accenture also shows that companies with AI-driven supply chains are, on average, 23% more profitable.

• Automated customer service and conversational AI. A clear trend is to let AI-driven voice assistants handle support cases while relevant data such as order history, customer interactions and return status is integrated via APIs, so automated support can use that information to provide more personalised and accurate answers. This leads to shorter response times and higher customer satisfaction, while reducing the load on manual support so it has more time to handle more complex cases. This area is growing strongly, and the level of automation is predicted to reach 70–80% in 2026. Not least because this trend brings major efficiency gains. McKinsey estimates that productivity in customer service will increase by 30–45%, and Gartner predicts that conversational AI in customer support will save around USD 80 billion in labour costs by 2026.

"Automation and AI-driven analysis give e-tailers major efficiency gains across several areas – from stock optimisation to customer service. But to make fast, informed business decisions, you need immediate access to your e-commerce data. That is why we have launched the AI agent Mímis, integrated into Viskan Backoffice, giving you business-critical insights in real time and, very soon, the ability to carry out tasks on your behalf as well," says Kristian Iveling.

These trends affect e-commerce platforms in several ways. APIs that can integrate predictive models and AI modules are becoming more important. Dashboards are moving towards becoming self-learning, proactive and voice-controlled. In other words, as an e-tailer you will be able to talk to them and get recommendations and warnings, rather than only historical data.

Future-proof E-commerce Platform

To give you the competitive advantage of acting directly on real-time data, we at Viskan are now launching the AI agent Mímis as part of Viskan Next Generation. Mímis is integrated into Viskan Backoffice with immediate access to your e-commerce data, so you can instantly get business-critical insights such as sales figures, product data, delivery statistics, campaign results, customer patterns and other relevant information that helps you make better decisions faster. Without having to wait for manual reports or time-consuming analysis. With the AI agent integrated into the platform, you can use the smooth chat window to ask whatever you want, whenever you want, and immediately get concrete insights that let you act straight away for faster results. In the next step, we are developing Mímis so it can also actively suggest improvements and carry out tasks for you, for even greater efficiency.

The Viskan E-commerce Platform is also built with future development in mind and has a strong open API that lets you integrate all the new functionality needed to meet upcoming trends. That gives you a future-proof solution and the flexibility to adapt your e-commerce as the market and technology evolve. So you are always ready for what comes next.