Cookie-cutter online shopping experiences. Pages (and pages) of search results that don’t fit the bill. Filtering functionality that’s so limited, it might as well not be there. If scenarios like these sound familiar — and you have trouble finding the right items when shopping online — you’re not alone. According to a new survey from Constructor, more than 4 in 10 online shoppers (42%) give product discovery experiences on retail websites a “C” grade or below.
The data — part of Constructor’s second annual State of Ecommerce Search and Product Discovery report — highlights implications for retailers of not “making the grade,” along with high-impact opportunities for improvement. Nearly 900 shoppers across the US (585) and UK (311) participated in this year’s study, completing an online survey about their preferences and experiences when they search and browse on ecommerce websites, excluding Amazon.
Search struggles & slowdowns
Shoppers cite search difficulties — nearly 7 in 10 (68%) think the search function on retail websites needs an upgrade. This was felt more strongly in the US (71%) than UK (61%), with search challenges including:
- Scrolling, scrolling, still scrolling… 44% of shoppers say it takes at least 3 minutes to wade through search results and locate the product they need. For more than 1 in 5 (21%), it takes at least 8 minutes. Only a quarter of shoppers (24%) describe finding products online as “quick.”
- Query doesn’t compute: 41% of shoppers say they have to “frequently” or “always” reformulate search queries to get ecommerce search engines to understand what they mean. 85% do so at least “sometimes.”
- That’s not quite right: For 42% of shoppers, although search results are technically relevant to their queries (e.g., they search for “shirts,” and shirts get returned), the products aren’t what they’re hoping to see and don’t reflect their preferences. This is a bigger pain point in the UK (48%) than US (38%).
Additional struggles across both search and product discovery include:
- Have we met… ever? Despite their previous engagement and purchase history, more than 4 in 10 shoppers (44%) say that when they shop with their favorite retailer online, the site treats them like a total stranger — with generic recommendations and a total lack of personalization across the buyer journey.
- Can this be more fun? Less than 1 in 3 shoppers (32%) say finding products online is “enjoyable” — highlighting an opportunity for retailers to create experiences that drive deeper engagement.
The benefits of getting it right
Poor product discovery experiences often breed poor results. For instance, online shoppers say when they can’t find what they want, they’re more likely to leave the retail site (52%) and take their wallets elsewhere — buying the item(s) from a different retailer (48%) such as Amazon (38%) or through Google (27%).
But shoppers say if they knew an excellent search and product discovery experience awaited them at an ecommerce site, they would:
- Shop more at that retailer — 62%
- Choose that retailer first for their shopping needs — 42%
- Leave a positive review — 41%
- Pay 5-10% more for the item(s) they’re searching for — 24% (up from 15% last year)
“Good product discovery experiences literally pay off,” said Nate Roy, strategic director of ecommerce innovation, Constructor. “The bar for a good digital experience continues to rise, and successful retailers work to meet and exceed shopper expectations. As technology and cost barriers drop, it’s even easier for retailers to make incremental changes that measurably improve both the shopper experience and business results.”
Charting a path for improvement
For retailers looking to enhance product discovery and realize more of the benefits above, shoppers provided a wishlist for improvements. They say their search experiences would be better with:
- Results that better reflect what they’re looking for — 45%
- Better filtering of results — 1 in 3 (33%)
- Personalization of search results — 30% (however, only 18% among those 60 years and older)
- Autocomplete functionality — 27%
- Better integration of online and in-store experiences — 24%; a bigger priority in the US (28%) than UK (16%)
Mobile matters
Mobile commerce continues to soar; survey data shows more than 6 in 10 shoppers (61%) do at least half of their online shopping from their mobile device. What’s more, 1 in 5 shoppers (21%) do all their online shopping via mobile — underscoring the importance of unfettered product discovery in mobile environments.
Shoppers ages 60+ were just as likely as other age groups to do all their online shopping from a mobile device (21%). However, those 60+ were also far more likely than other age groups to do their online shopping exclusively from a computer (30%). In contrast, only 4% of those ages 18-29, 3% of those 30-44, and 10% of those 45-60 years old use only the computer (not mobile) for online shopping.
Tapping into GenAI
Generative AI (GenAI) is becoming increasingly pervasive across both business and consumer landscapes. More than half of shoppers (51%) say they’ve tried ChatGPT and other GenAI tools (e.g., Bing Chat, Google Bard) in their daily lives — up significantly from 29% last year. Usage varies by age group: Among those 60+, 26% have tried GenAI tools, while those 18-29 years old report the greatest use (64%).
This increased comfort and familiarity has important implications across ecommerce product discovery — highlighting opportunities for retailers to take advantage of the technology:
- More receptive to GenAI: More than half of shoppers (52%) say they’d be “very” or “somewhat” comfortable using ChatGPT and other GenAI tools that understand human language to help discover the best products for them — up 10 points from last year (42%).
- This varies by age: Among those 60+, only 34% note they would be “very” or “somewhat” comfortable.
- Let’s be clear: Nearly half of shoppers (49%) say it’s “very important” that retailers are transparent about their use of GenAI (53% in the US and 41% in the UK).
Given shoppers’ interest in, and openness to, the technology, it’s incumbent on retailers to identify use cases that will drive the most value. And with 80% of shoppers “often” or “sometimes” going to ecommerce websites unsure of what to buy (e.g., when they’re looking for a gift, starting a new hobby, etc.), there’s an opportunity to use GenAI to improve search processes and paradigms.
That’s because when shoppers are uncertain or wavering, sites often don’t help them out: Nearly 1 in 3 shoppers (32%) say when they’re unsure what to buy, retail sites make it “somewhat difficult” or “nearly impossible” to find the right item(s). But shoppers think GenAI-based features and technologies can help, and it behooves retailers to listen:
- Searching in sentences: 44% of shoppers would like the ability to explain themselves in longform sentences in search (not just typing terse keywords) — and have the search bar understand.
- Engaging with AI assistants: When they’re unsure, more than 6 in 10 shoppers (61% — and 44% of those 60+) would “definitely” or “probably” be willing to let an AI shopping assistant help them — for example, explaining to the assistant through the search interface what they’re trying to accomplish, and getting personalized, in-stock suggestions.
In addition to AI assistants, looking across the ecommerce landscape, shoppers think GenAI has high potential to improve areas including:
- Product recommendations — 41%
- Visual/image search — 36%
- Personalization — 33%
- Fraud detection — 25%; a bigger priority in the US (29%) than UK (19%)
- Virtual try-on — 21%
- Customer support — 20%
“There’s great interest in applying GenAI to ecommerce and, correspondingly, there’s also been a great pace of innovation,” said Nate Roy, strategic director of ecommerce innovation, Constructor. “But implementing GenAI for GenAI’s sake isn’t a smart move, and retailers are moving beyond what’s simply flashy to what’ll drive sustained value for them and their customers. Uses like AI assistants are already meeting shoppers’ needs and improving retail results. We encourage retailers to look at where product discovery is heading, and how consumers will increasingly want to engage — and then use AI and other technology strategically to cement themselves as leaders in this future.”
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