The Internet has radically transformed the way brands engage with their consumers. The boom in e-commerce has redefined what a brand has to look like online. In addition to a digital presence, a digital identity is now essential; a story audiences can browse to dig into the brand.

And it’s not showing signs of slowing down. E-commerce is projected to make up nearly 24% of all retail activity by 2026. As new technology sprouts almost daily, it just means new marketplaces and new formats to harness when connecting with consumers.

E-commerce continues to move into more digital mediums, forms and formats—making it tough to keep up. Below, we’ve curated a selection of the most innovative Lovie-recognised projects that are shaping the pace for the industry, connected with insights and trends we’ve seen in the work.

Explore our insights gathered from Europe’s top creative teams behind the highest-awarded e-commerce experiences at the 12th Annual Lovie Awards.

It’s All About The User

The consumer has quickly become the subject of e-commerce—it’s no longer the product. Take Vitra’s Office Chair Finder, for instance. It gives the buyer the chance to input their needs, allowing the site to direct them to a version of a chair that matches their unique context. Today, a user-first approach is a must-have, not an option. It’s a great illustration of how to market while centering the customer.

The form of e-commerce platforms has also become equally important as the function. Curated shopping experiences are on the rise, with de Bijenkorf being a stellar example of strategically marrying commerce with content. The site leads users into an intricately designed registry, an imaginative medium to foray into the presented brands. Building unique digital marketplaces is key to fostering a meaningful relationship between makers and buyers.

Interfaces are also growing more engaging as traditional roll-over scrolling is no longer the standard. Platforms with complex designs are harnessed to create an unforgettable journey for the user, from the catalogue to their shopping cart. The stunning project Moooi Paper Play is a great showcase of captivating the user through an artistically curated interface. The experience spotlights products from Moooi’s latest line, each getting its own soundscape, interactive elements, and visual identity in a page that unravels with each scroll.

Brand Ethos Takes Centre Stage

More companies are opting for centering the stories behind their brands and products in the marketplaces they build. Experiences are growing narrative-based. Think: what’s the story tying your brand together? What are the beliefs leading and driving your work? What values is the product upholding? In today’s internet, it’s critical to leverage your digital identity to aid consumers in understanding the purpose that’s powering your brand.

Oatly’s website expertly immerses the user in the company’s universe by employing a horizontal scroll. With interactive elements that resemble stickers covering every inch of the interface, the site is a fun invitation to dig into the heart of their work. From highlighting sustainability initiatives to giving a breakdown of everything oat milk, it’s a digital landing space spotlighting the building blocks that make up their brand.

Underlining the principles shaping your brand has also proven crucial. Your product is no longer just a commodity, but a medium for your audiences to gain value. Rōnin Amsterdam’s The Manolo Blahnik Archives illustrates best practices for developing a digital commerce platform that defines the vision of moulding your products. Four curated virtual galleries feature the creative process of the famed designer, with never before seen designs.

Create Immersive Spaces with Emerging Tech

Extended reality (XR) is innovating the way immersive and personalised user experiences are built. XR has gained massive momentum in recent years for bringing deeper digital connectivity, leading brands to apply AR and VR to create a mixed-reality marketplace. HYPEWEAR from digital fashion innovator ABOUT YOU is an exemplar of best-in-class marketplaces breaking new ground in e-commerce. With vast digital capabilities that give the user full creative liberty to design their own 3-d fashion pieces. It gives the user the space to delve into the creativity that ABOUT YOU contains as a brand, allowing audiences to get to know it from a personal level.

Immersive and interactive tech is heavily utilised as it drives audiences to dive fully into your products through a gamified world of your brand. It’s a striking show of your knack for playing around with brand-new forms of tech. Xiaomi, one of the biggest smartphone brands worldwide, made headway with younger audiences through their Immersive Showroom. It created a space for consumers to explore their latest gear while fostering community with other Xiaomi enthusiasts. It illustrates your drive to tap into new forms of tech to learn the new languages of your audiences.

Scroll through more Lovie-Recognised e-commerce projects below.

As the Internet continues to evolve, the digital language of brands has to as well. From this cohort of Lovie-recognised e-commerce innovators, it’s evident how important it is to reimagine digital mediums to connect with your audiences. Create projects that will hold meaning and bring value to your customers. Develop sites that offer unique and memorable experiences for your audiences. To stay current in the rapid world of e-commerce, create work that intentionally and uniquely draws audiences into your brand.

The Lovie Awards 2023 Industry Heat Index

We’re thrilled to launch the annual The Lovie Awards 2023 Industry Heat Index! It’s a celebration of the dynamic talent coming out of Europe to blaze fresh trails on the Internet. Discover the top countries, companies, and emerging markets that are energizing the Internet with their ingenuity. Check out our insights to illuminate your work with the industry’s best-in-class examples.

The Lovie Awards celebrates digital excellence of all mediums: from Apps, Platforms & Software, Film & Video and Podcasts to Social, Marketing, Advertising & PR and Websites & Mobile Sites, including Web3 & XR and—new this year—Beyond categories.