Acceleration Partners’ e-commerce growth study—conducted in partnership with 2 Visions—explores the opportunities, strategies, risks and challenges associated with the consumer electronics industry. Here’s everything you need to know about consumer electronic industry trends shaping the way your brand succeeds in 2025.
Market Trends Shaping Consumer Electronics E-commerce in 2025
This year’s consumer electronics industry trends report identified a few interesting takeaways. Here are a few factors we anticipate shaping e-commerce and marketing for the consumer electronics industry. Buyers Are Ready to Purchase—Mostly
Overall, nearly 82% of respondents indicated they were open to future consumer electronics purchases. Male buyers were more likely to do so, with 88.75% of male respondents indicating a likelihood to make a future purchase compared to 73.79% of female shoppers. Openness varied between generations, though baby boomers, Gen X, and millennials all indicated at least some interest in purchasing consumer electronics in the near future. Millennials ranked as the most likely, with 83.08% indicating they would make a future purchase compared to 78.18% of Gen X respondents and 77.78% of baby boomers. Female shoppers showed the most hesitancy toward a future consumer electronics purchase, with 26.21% suggesting they would not buy any electronics. That said, there was a high rate of recent electronic purchases across all markets, with 71.19% noting they had made an electronic purchase recently. Opting Offline
While online consumer electronics purchases have increased in popularity, respondents leaned slightly toward in-store purchases overall. Male shoppers were more likely to make an in-store purchase than females (53.43% vs. 51.88%). Baby boomers indicated an obvious preference for in-store shopping, with 60.93% of respondents shopping in-store—9.06% more than the overall average. Surprisingly, Gen Z agreed—if slightly, with 53.97% of Gen Z respondents opting in-store when buying an electronic device. Of those asked, 68.57% of Gen Z respondents believed an in-store option would result in a higher-quality purchase. Millennials were more likely to purchase online (50.85%), while Gen X showed a slight preference for in-store buying (48.38% online vs. 51.62% in-store). Money Matters
Over 62% of respondents said price was the key driver behind an online purchase. Other factors influenced the decision to make an online purchase—including greater selection, the ability to research and compare options and convenience. Still, deals and promotions won out with 60% of millennials and Gen Z buyers and 59.26% of baby boomers. On that note, price was shown to be the most important loyalty factor across all responders as well. 65.82% prioritized cost, with a whopping 77.78% of baby boomers rating it as the most important factor. Female shoppers consider prices 3.39% more than males, too. It Takes a Village
Our study found that friends and family members, as well as ads and content on social media platforms, often led to consumer electronics purchases. 55.34% of females mentioned discovering new products through friends and family, while Gen Z turned to YouTube, TikTok and Facebook for recommendations, product reviews and more. Ad campaigns have proven to be successful with Gen Z as well, with 42.86% of respondents discovering new products through advertisements. Still, almost 50% of respondents still turn to Google search for product discovery, making search engines a valuable channel in 2025 and beyond. 
