From E-commerce to Ecommerce – The Spelling Shift and Your Industry’s Maturity

In this post we look at the evolution of e-commerce to ecommerce (via eCommerce) and what this spelling shift says about the industry’s maturity.

Language changes slowly – until it doesn’t. And when it does, those subtle shifts can reveal deeper truths about the maturity of a product, trend, or entire industry. One great example? The spelling evolution from ‘e-commerce’ to ‘ecommerce.’ It might seem trivial, but it could actually be a meaningful proxy for how far the digital retail world has come.

Let’s rewind to the early 2000s. The term ‘e-commerce’ (short for ‘electronic commerce’) was still a relatively new concept. The hyphen helped readers mentally bridge the gap between the old world of commerce and the brave new digital frontier. It marked the ‘e’ as something separate, something novel – just like we once said and wrote ‘e-mail’ instead of ’email.’

But over time, “email” dropped the hyphen. Why? Because the concept became so familiar and integrated into everyday life that the distinction – and therefore the extra punctuation – was no longer necessary. It was no longer a digital version of mail—it was mail. The hyphen’s disappearance signalled a cultural shift. ‘Email’ had arrived.

Now, we’re seeing the same trend with ecommerce. While ‘e-commerce’ is still grammatically correct and widely used (especially in formal writing or by institutions and other more conservative-leaning bodies), more and more people and businesses have embraced the streamlined ‘ecommerce.’ You’ll see it in startup taglines, investor decks, and even major publications. ‘Ecommerce’ is faster to type, easier on the eyes, and frankly, more in tune with how we experience online shopping today: as a default, not a novelty.

You could also argue that sitting in the middle of this transition was the term ‘eCommerce’. The C got capital status, in much the same way that (the) Internet often still does. So the move from e-commerce to ecommerce might have been aided by the stepping stone eCommerce. If you cast an eye over Volo Commerce blog posts, and go far enough back, you’ll see a similar progression about how we talk about the industry. Perhaps we should rename our business Volo Ecommerce…

So, is the spelling shift a tipping point? Quite possibly. The dropping of the hyphen reflects the normalisation – and ubiquity – of ecommerce in our lives as both consumers and sellers. No longer do we see it as a separate category from ‘commerce.’ It is commerce. Consumers don’t draw a hard line between physical and digital storefronts. They browse online, buy in store, or vice versa. For most, the word ‘shopping’ inherently includes scrolling, clicking, and next-day delivery.

For businesses, this evolution of ecommerce also points to a broader industry maturation. Ecommerce isn’t a tech experiment anymore—it’s a core business model. Brands aren’t ‘moving into ecommerce’, they’re launching with it and indeed many of them are pure play ecommerce offerings with no physical retail presence. Infrastructure, customer expectations, and technology have all matured.

So the spelling shift is just one of the many signals that ecommerce is no longer emerging; it has emerged and shows the classic signs of a maturing industry. Competition is intense, competitive advantage doesn’t last as long, easy or quick wins or harder to secure. Even with the rise of emerging Eastern marketplaces which threaten to upturn the established Western order, there’s rarely gold in them there hills like there was in the pioneering wild west days. A glance at the long term projections for ecommerce growth will confirm this.

Will ‘ecommerce’ fully replace ‘e-commerce’? Probably, eventually. As with ’email,’ consistency will come with time. And as it does, the word will blend further into our everyday language—another sign that what was once innovative is now simply how things are done.

So yes, a missing hyphen might seem minor. But in this case, it’s a small linguistic symbol of something much bigger. And what does that mean for you, the online seller?

Why the Spelling Shift and the Ecommerce Evolution Matter to Online Sellers

Ecommerce is the default. Dropping the hyphen reflects how normal and integrated ecommerce has become in consumers’ lives. You’re either a physical seller with an online presence, or you’re an exclusively ecommerce seller. For you, this means the bar is higher – but so is the ceiling. Shoppers expect smooth digital experiences, fast delivery, easy returns, and personalised journeys. You’re not competing as an ‘online alternative’, you’re competing as the primary way people buy.

It’s a maturity signal. Just like the spelling, the tools, platforms and strategies in ecommerce have matured. From advanced analytics and AI to marketplace integrations and automation tools, merchants now have access to tech that was once reserved for enterprise giants and your size and agility means you can move much more quickly too. The industry has standardised, but that also means the competition has sharpened. Success is no longer about being early, it’s about being excellent.

Your brand should speak the same language as your customer. The consumers you want to attract – and many media outlets – have already adopted ‘ecommerce’ as the go-to spelling. Matching that in your site copy, product listings, and communications shows you’re aligned with modern expectations. It’s a small detail, but one that contributes to a sense of trust and fluency.

It reflects a mindset shift. For merchants, embracing ‘ecommerce’ isn’t just about spelling, it’s about embracing what your business is now: not just an online shop, but a brand in a connected, always-on, customer-centric world.

So yes, it’s a minor, symbolic change. But it’s also a marker of how far we’ve come—and how far your business can still go. The hyphen may be gone, but the growth and profitability are still to be had.

Get in touch to discuss your plans for your ecommerce business.