The global retail industry is worth a staggering $15 trillion, and according to Nicolas Franchet, three major trends are expected to dominate digital retail this year: discovery, timeliness and compression.

Franchet, head of Vertical Strategy for Retail at Facebook, thinks that people will continue to make use of feeds while they surf the web, as they offer a simpler, more organised way of discovering things. Therefore, retailers will focus their investments in feeds as a digital shopping tool to promote their products and lure consumers.

Timeliness and seasonality are very important for online retailers as they motivate customers to shop. For example, holidays have always been the major focus of retailers' marketing campaigns. This year, online retailers are expected to increasingly leverage digital technology in order to approach customers at the right time and persuade them to buy their products.

Online retailers will also continue complying with the trend towards compression. Due to the wide use of smaller devices that have smaller displays, it has become even more vital for marketers to sell the right product to the right person at the right time.

While many retailers make use of the new technology trends, others are still hesitant. In an article for Drapers Online, Will Young, director of US online fashion retailer Zappos Labs, stressed that the implementation of 3D printing and social commerce could add value for businesses of all sizes. However, he said that before investing, businesses should make sure that the technology they planned to implement was in demand. According to Young, retailers first need to start with small and simple initiatives before "diving in."