The consumer packaged goods (CPG) landscape is set to continue its unprecedentedly rapid evolution in 2025. Traditional sales channels are making way for digital-first strategies, spurred on by shifting consumer preferences, ecommerce’s rapid growth, and the continued dominance of online marketplaces.
Looking to the future, it is estimated that the global CPG market will rocket from $160.75 billion in 2022 to nearly $245 billion by 2030, with food and beverages leading the charge as the dominant segment. So, the timing to tap into these expansive audiences has never been better. However, doing so demands an agile approach and having the right guns in your arsenal.
Adopting innovative strategies, like AI-driven pricing and sustainability initiatives, can help you retain a competitive edge and maximize your sales potential.
In this article, we’ll discuss current and future innovations shaping the CPG landscape, assess the unique opportunities marketplaces present, and show you how to leverage platforms such as ChannelEngine to future-proof your marketplace strategies for 2025 and beyond.
CPG trends to watch in 2025
1. Sustainability & ethical consumption
Consumers in 2025 are more informed and conscious of the social and environmental impact of their purchases than ever before. In fact, 6% of consumers believe that a brand’s sustainability record is an important deciding factor for whom they’ll do business with.
As such, it’s best not to consider “sustainability” merely a trending buzzword. Instead, consider it a vital element of your brand’s identity. As a brand, you can win hearts and minds by investing in eco-friendly packaging, sourcing materials responsibly, and being transparent regarding your supply chain.
One example of proactive sustainability efforts comes from Marks & Spencer, which in 2023 began packaging food products like rice, grains, and beans in paper bags and distributing them in paper boxes. This move positioned the brand ahead of the curve in catering to environmentally conscious consumers.
Sustainability initiatives don’t just resonate with consumers, they also drive sales. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly program is proving to be a powerful sales driver for sellers. A recent study found that products in the program experienced a 12.5% increase in sales and a 13.3% boost in gross merchandise volume (GMV) within 12 weeks. The impact was especially significant for low-visibility products, showing that sustainability labels help consumers discover and choose greener options.
Niels Floors,
2. Personalization & data-driven selling
Data is an increasingly valuable asset in today’s competitive ecommerce environment. By utilizing insight from consumer behavior and purchase patterns, your CPG brand can create desirable and highly personalized shopping experiences. These experiences enhance customer satisfaction, boosting conversion rates going forward. Consider embracing a data-driven marketing approach to gain a deeper understanding of your customer base, allowing you to swiftly alter your strategies to cater to constantly evolving market conditions.
One way to gain a competitive edge in this sector is to integrate AI-powered tools and advanced marketplace analytics into your marketing with a view to creating a situation wherein every customer interaction feels personal and relevant. With personalization as a strategic focus, you can position your brand to meet each customer’s unique needs, building lasting relationships and driving sustainable growth.
3. Omnichannel & D2C (direct-to-consumer) expansion
As consumer habits continue to evolve, CPG brands that move to embrace a seamless omnichannel strategy are those that will remain competitive. In 2025 and beyond, integrating multiple sales channels—both online and offline—should no longer be considered optional; it’s paramount to success. A well-thought-out and robust omnichannel strategy allows brands to connect with customers whether they shop on digital marketplaces, in brick-and-mortar retail stores, or via direct-to-consumer (D2C) platforms.
Investing in D2C allows brands to bypass third-party entities, fostering stronger customer relationships and gaining valuable consumer insights. This direct connection helps refine product offerings, personalize marketing efforts, and enhance customer experience.
At the same time, many larger CPG brands are adopting hybrid selling—blending first-party (1P) and third-party (3P) strategies—to balance control and reach. A hybrid approach can provide the benefits of direct sales while leveraging marketplace infrastructure for broader distribution. A well-executed omnichannel and hybrid strategy strengthens brand resilience, increases revenue, and creates a flexible foundation for long-term success.
4. Fast & flexible fulfillment expectations
In this era where instant gratification rules, consumers have learned to expect fast and flexible order fulfillment. To satisfy this pressing demand, many are investing in logistic and supply chain innovations to shorten delivery times. However, it is also advisable to roll out additional features tailored to your customers’ needs. Modern shoppers actively seek out effective order tracking, user-friendly returns processes, and the convenience of choosing from several delivery options.
Beyond improving speed, fulfillment flexibility is becoming a major competitive advantage. A prime example of this shift is Kaufland’s recent decision to discontinue Fulfillment by Kaufland (FBK) by February 28, 2024—just a year after launching it. Instead, the German marketplace is pivoting to a modular, cross-border fulfillment model, enabling sellers to process orders across multiple platforms, including external marketplaces and their own webshops. The new system will offer automated labeling, multichannel logistics, and cross-border support, similar to Zalando’s ZEOS solution. As Kaufland expands across Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland, this model aims to provide sellers with scalable and sustainable international growth opportunities. This move reflects a larger trend in marketplace fulfillment.
Katharina Caracciolo,The benefit of enhancing your fulfillment capabilities is twofold: it may lead to an increase in customer satisfaction and build loyalty to your brand, all the while potentially reducing operational errors and costs. Whether you achieve this by incorporating automated warehousing solutions or getting a reliable third-party logistics service onboard, streamlining your order fulfillment process is a crucial step toward sustainable growth.
5. AI-powered pricing & promotions
Artificial intelligence continues to redefine how brands can best approach pricing and promotional strategies. 71% of CPG leaders have turned to AI to assist with at least one business function. This figure marks a significant increase from the 2023 statistic of 42%, highlighting a continued shift toward data-driven strategies.
In 2025, you can harness the power of AI tools to track customer behavior, analyze market trends, and monitor competitors in real-time. You can also implement dynamic pricing systems that adapt to fluctuations in demand, seasonality, and evolving consumer preferences.
Beyond pricing, you can also enhance your promotional strategies with AI-powered product bundling and capitalize on major events like the Super Bowl to maximize consumer engagement.
👉 Check out how CPG brands can leverage event-driven marketing.
Product bundling tools can analyze purchasing patterns and recommend product combinations that increase average order value and eventually drive more conversions. These data-driven bundles not only enhance customer experience but also maximize sales potential by offering personalized, relevant deals.
By harnessing AI for both pricing and bundling, as a CPG brand, you can create more strategic, data-backed approaches to revenue optimization, ensuring they stay competitive in an increasingly dynamic marketplace.
Simplify marketplace selling by integrating with ChannelEngine
Marketplaces are indispensable forces for driving CPG growth, granting you access to massive audiences that traditional channels simply can’t. Understanding how consumer shopping behavior evolves on these platforms is key to optimizing your marketplace strategy.
Marketplaces are important because they offer up a readymade audience of consumers who are already primed for online shopping, which is ideal for expanding your reach. Larger marketplaces like Amazon and Kroger are also known and trusted entities. Your presence there implies trustworthiness, thus boosting visibility and accelerating your sales.
Our marketplace integration platform is designed to simplify the challenges of selling across multiple marketplaces. Our customers benefit from centralized marketplace management that simplifies inventory control, product listings, and order fulfillment and processing.
Automated inventory and order synching removes the guesswork from your daily operations, freeing up time to focus on strategic growth initiatives. All the while, our robust data and analytics capabilities are on hand to provide you with real-time insights into your sales performance and market trends.
