The Future of Personalization in eCommerce Imagery

What if every product image a shopper saw felt like it was made just for them? As the Head of Marketing at Imagine.io—and with nearly a decade of experience as a VP of eCommerce—I’ve seen firsthand how the industry has evolved to meet ever-changing consumer expectations.?

One of the most exciting shifts happening right now is the transformation of personalization in eCommerce imagery. It’s not just about showing customers the right products anymore—it’s about delivering immersive, visually dynamic experiences that make every shopper feel like the brand understands them at an individual level.

In my eight years leading ecommerce teams, I’ve navigated the challenges of creating scalable, impactful visual content that drives conversions. Now, standing at the intersection of technology and commerce, I see a future where personalization becomes the cornerstone of ecommerce imagery—and it’s going to revolutionize how brands engage with customers.? Let’s dive in:

What is the Status Quo of eCommerce Imagery Now?

eCommerce imagery has continued to evolve extremely fast over the last 20 years.? From expansions of asset types (video, 360 spins, possibly augmented reality (AR)), to taking up increasingly more space in the first frame of an experience, we have seen imagery play an increasing importance.?

Why?

It’s no secret that imagery is critical.? 93% of consumers, according to Justamo, found the visuals the singular most important factor in the purchase decision - not price, not reviews - imagery.

To power this most important factor, eCommerce managers, their teams, and tech stacks that support them publish static imagery to all their channels - from retailer portals (Amazon’s Seller or Vendor Central, Walmart Supplier One, Wayfair Partner Hub, etc.), a brand’s own D2C, and more - all of these channels receive static assets to fuel their PDPs.? Certainly, it’s very possible to automate this distribution but the core assets are manually created and distributed.

Assets could be the same or unique to each retail “end point,” but nevertheless are typically ‘static’ with very few exceptions, like the addition of seasonal or promotional imagery which is still manual and often has to be flagged to revert to the evergreen versioning when the event is done.??

This is changing quickly.

AI + 3D Usage and More

From an AI perspective, we are already seeing retailers avail AI-generated image content to brands and suppliers for ad creation. A recent NYU Stern study found that 68% of retailers invested less than $5M in AI this year, while only 12% spent over $50M. For retailers with over $500M in revenue, 47% invested under $5M, but 27% spent more than $50M.

For example, last October Amazon rolled this capability out to its sellers and vendors.

Many brands are leveraging AI tools on their core (static) imagery to quickly take a product and overlay on a new environment. Tools like my company’s imagineAI tool and many others power background generation around a core product.

What About 3D???

Leveraging the power of 3D models, retailers are harnessing 3D data to provide enhanced experiences to their users. Amazon supports vendor/seller uploads or a cell phone capture upload of 3D models for “View in 3D,” “View in Your Room,” and “AR Virtual try-on” for select categories.? For a full list of product types supported for each, check out this link.? Other retailers capture these experiences as well like Walmart, but are fed by 3D model creation via in-house teams.

See example on Walmart of “View in 3D”

But where are things heading?

Big Prediction: In 3 Years, 80+% of eCommerce Imagery will be Powered by 3D + AI

As you can imagine, the challenge is shifting from marketing your product en masse to all who may see to individual shoppers through personalization.?

But personalization in the past was often limited to text-based recommendations or segmented email campaigns. In the next five years, I am confident personalized imagery is the future of our eCommerce experience, becoming just as adaptive as the words on the page. As per a google survey:

66% of people say they are interested in using AR for help when shopping

Imagine a shopper browsing an online store and seeing visuals that align perfectly with their preferences. With 3D image rendering + advanced AI, products will be styled and displayed in real-time to match each customer’s lifestyle, location, and taste.

For example, a winter jacket could appear styled in a snow-covered mountain scene for a shopper in Minneapolis, while the same jacket might be shown in a casual urban setting for someone in New York City. These contextual shifts will make shopping not only more engaging but also more intuitive—and brands that lean into this innovation will build trust and loyalty faster than ever.

Personalized AR: From "Try On" to "Try Your Way"

One of my key takeaways from leading ecommerce initiatives is that customers don’t just want to see products—they want as close to touching and feeling it to live in a digital experience. Augmented Reality (AR) has already started bridging that gap, but the future holds something even more exciting: deeply personalized AR experiences.?

A recent report shows that the global AR shopping market size is projected to reach USD 11.6 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 28.0% from 2023 to 2028.?

In this next wave, shoppers won’t just try on glasses or shoes using AR filters—they’ll see how products fit their specific world. Customers will upload their room layouts, exact measurements, or personal preferences to visualize products in ways that feel uniquely relevant to them. As someone who worked hard to reduce returns and increase customer satisfaction as a VP of Ecommerce, I know this level of personalization will be a game-changer for reducing uncertainty and driving confidence at checkout.

Creative Automation at Scale

One of the greatest challenges I faced in my ecommerce leadership roles was scaling creative production to meet the demands of personalization. Traditional photoshoots are costly and time-consuming, making it nearly impossible to create unique visuals for every customer segment.

AI-powered creative tools like those we’re building at Imagine.io are solving this problem. Brands can now generate thousands of high-quality, on-brand visuals with just a few clicks. Adjustments can be made dynamically—changing backgrounds, lighting, or product configurations—so that every image feels like it was made for the individual viewing it. It’s a level of efficiency I only dreamed about working on the product / brand manufacturing world, and it’s empowering brands to finally keep pace with consumer expectations.

Emotionally Intelligent Imagery

I know just how important it is to connect with customers on an emotional level. Shoppers don’t just buy products—they buy solutions, aspirations, and experiences. Don’t believe me? Here is the stat to back my point:?

71% of customers are likely to recommend a brand when they feel an emotional connection to it.

In the future, ecommerce imagery will go beyond aesthetics to tap into customer emotions. AI-driven insights into sentiment and behavior will enable brands to craft visuals that resonate on a deeper level. A customer interested in mindfulness might see products styled in serene, calming settings, while a shopper exploring athletic gear could encounter visuals bursting with energy and motion.

This emotionally intelligent approach to imagery will create connections that feel authentic and foster stronger brand loyalty.

The Future Is Personal

As I reflect, one thing is clear: customers expect more from brands, and the bar for personalization is higher than ever. Static, one-size-fits-all visuals no longer cut it. Shoppers want experiences that feel custom-built for them—and the brands that deliver will win.

At Imagine.io, we’re not just imagining this future—we’re building it. Our technology empowers brands to create imagery that adapts to individual shoppers, scales effortlessly, and drives meaningful engagement.

For ecommerce leaders like myself, who have spent years trying to create frictionless, memorable shopping experiences, this is the dawn of an exciting new era. A future where visuals don’t just represent products—they create personalized connections.

Let’s build that future together.

How are you preparing your brand for the next wave of personalization in ecommerce? Let’s talk about how we can transform your approach to visual content.