The path to successful AI-driven growth hinges on integrating intelligence with infrastructure, linking predictive insights at the point of sale to efficient shipping and delivery, and partnering with experts in global shipping, taxation, and compliance.

International expansion is conceptually easier thanks to AI-enabled translation, pricing, and predictive modeling, yet 91% of merchants view international sales as profitable while lacking systems to manage evolving compliance, taxation, and cross-border logistics.

To realize AI-infused growth, brands must align demand with delivery capabilities and proactively address global expansion challenges like compliance, taxation, and cross-border logistics.

AI-driven shopping experiences now encompass predictive analytics, personalized recommendations, dynamic pricing, real-time merchandising, and conversational shopping capabilities such as ChatGPT-based checkout.

These AI-enabled shopper experiences reduce friction and power advanced tools like predictive analytics, dynamic pricing, and conversational checkout, with examples including ChatGPT Instant Checkout and platform experiments from Google Buy to Meta Shops.

AI is rapidly transforming ecommerce, embedding advanced tools across marketing, personalization, and support, with 84% of brands already adopting AI in these areas according to a Passport study.

From basic chatbots to sophisticated systems, AI is shaping how consumers browse, engage, and convert, placing new demands on back-end operations.

A Passport study of 200 global ecommerce leaders in August 2025 shows 84% of brands have integrated AI across key customer-facing domains, signaling widespread adoption but increasing backend pressures.

Front-end gains are tempered by limited uptake of native checkouts, with most merchants sticking to brand websites; TikTok Shop stands out with multi-billion GMV, illustrating native discovery can work when the experience feels integrated.

Overall, there is limited adoption of native checkout solutions from Google and Meta, reinforcing a preference for brand websites despite examples like TikTok Shop achieving strong GMV through integrated discovery and purchasing.

Regulatory and logistical headwinds—de minimis rules, reciprocal tariffs, and shifting import requirements—are testing traditional fulfillment models and costs across markets.

Back-end operational bottlenecks exist: only about a third of retailers use AI for inventory optimization, and even fewer employ automation for compliance and cross-border logistics, straining fulfillment as front-end performance improves.