The news: Consumers are open to AI experiences when a brand’s online search options let them down or when they want a quicker product discovery experience.
- 59% of US and UK consumers often leave ecommerce sites because of bad search experiences, per Nosto, though 63% will return if a store’s search helps them easily find products.
- 40% say they’re likely to turn to an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Claude for recommendations if they have a poor site experience, and 57% of those ages 25 to 34 consider AI tools more helpful than many shopping websites’ search options.
Shoppers prioritize speed and ease if AI is incorporated into search.
- 34% want AI to help them find the products more quickly.
- 30% want help narrowing down choices.
- 27% want AI to understand what they’re looking for even if they can’t clearly describe it.
What it means: Poor ecommerce search options are an opening for AI assistants to join the purchase journey, but consumers aren’t necessarily seeking out AI from the start.
- Shoppers look to AI when traditional search creates friction, reflecting a largely practical appeal around AI options.
- They want relevant products quickly and are overwhelmed by numerous options.
However, if shoppers leave ecommerce sites for AI assistants because of weak discovery but still choose to buy, retailers lose control over which products are surfaced. Considering 29% want an AI off switch, retailers should make AI an option rather than forcing every shopper to engage with it.
Recommendations for retailers: Fix on-site, traditional search mechanics first to reduce the risk of losing shoppers to AI, then deploy AI selectively.
- Build AI into search itself instead of launching a separate chat window to reduce friction.
- Prioritize concrete search improvements before pushing into novelty features like AI-powered try-ons.
- Watch for generational splits: Younger consumers’ preference for AI tools is likely to widen, meaning that delaying AI incorporation in on-site search options risks losing them to chatbots.