Before TikTok and Whatnot were household names, they were just emerging startup apps. TikTok launched globally in 2018 after merging with Musical.ly, and Whatnot was founded as a niche collectibles marketplace in late 2019 before adding its live-auction format in 2020. Today they are the leader social commerce platforms in the world, and they’ve flipped modern commerce completely on its head. Whatnot, AKA that platform you may have not even heard of one year ago hit a $20 billion evaluation! TikTok’s parent company is sitting pretty at $500 billion.

Ecommerce in 2026 is entering the second half of the year with a fascinating combination of opportunity and caution. Online shopping continues to take a larger share of retail, but consumers are becoming much more deliberate about where and when they spend. Having the right tech stack in place to retain loyal shoppers and drive lifetime value has never been more important as competitors like TikTok shop and Whatnot continue to explode.

Did somebody just make a purchase on your website? Congratulations! You have made a sale and created a new opportunity. Now, what? Well, now is where the fun begins. It’s a wonderful time to bask in your glory and ensure that your first time buyer becomes a repeat purchaser. By focusing on creating an excellent post-purchase experience through personalized communication, loyalty programs, and valuable incentives for repeat purchasing, you will keep your customers engaged.

If you’ve had AI on your mind and are curious about what the future holds when in comes to purchase behavior in 2026 then you’ve come to the right place.

In 2025, retailers using AI-driven personalization reportedly saw meaningful boosts in sales. Because of those foundations (personalization, convenience, operational smoothness), 2026 will likely see these trends amplify.