Online shopping is booming, yet something essential is missing: joy. A global 2025 study by Criteo reveals that most consumers now see e-commerce as a functional chore rather than a delightful experience. So, how can brands improve online shopping experience of their customers? In this article, you’ll learn:
- Why e-commerce feels boring to today’s shoppers
- How discovery and spontaneity impact customer loyalty
- Key moments when shoppers form emotional brand connections
- How AI and personalization can spark joy again
- Five proven strategies to improve the online shopping experience
(Image Source: www.unsplash.com)
Why the online shopping experience is broken?
In an era when global e-commerce surpassed $4.14 trillion in sales (2024), you’d expect online shopping to be a thrilling digital experience. Yet, a sweeping new global survey by commerce media company Criteo tells a different story. The 2025 report, “The Spark of Discovery: Reigniting the Emotion of E-commerce”, reveals that 76% of consumers find online shopping lacks excitement, with nearly 30% calling it a chore.
Conducted in partnership with Harvard PR and research firm Vitreous World, the study surveyed 6,000 consumers and 600 brand leaders across six markets — the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Its central finding? E-commerce is functional, but no longer fun. And that spells trouble for brands hoping to grow loyalty, engagement, and conversion.
The core problem: E-commerce has lost its spark
Today’s online shopping experience is optimized for speed and efficiency. But in doing so, it has sacrificed emotional connection, discovery, and joy:
- 76% of shoppers say online shopping lacks delight
- 79% say it’s lonely; 78% feel overwhelmed by too many product choices
- Only 18% celebrate life events (like promotions or birthdays) with online purchases
Criteo’s study finds that consumers want more than convenience — they want surprise, spontaneity, and emotional engagement.
Emotional discovery drives customer loyalty
Emotional moments are often what create brand loyalty. According to the report:
- 50% of consumers are happiest when they find something unexpected online
- 43% want brands to use their data to deliver personalized shopping experiences
- 54% say it’s important to feel joy when shopping online
However, only 13% of shoppers recently made an impulse purchase on a brand website — versus 36% in physical stores. This indicates that online retailers are missing critical discovery moments that create positive emotional triggers.
When shoppers feel most connected to brands
The research also pinpoints when consumers are most open to brand influence:
- 52% feel positively while browsing for new products
- 46% report positive emotions when they discover a new brand
- 39% are influenced by emotionally resonant ads
Surprisingly, influencer content ranks low: only 23% of consumers find it exciting, compared to 41% who trust product reviews or forums.
AI, personalization, and the future of discovery
Understanding when shoppers feel most emotionally connected is just the beginning. To truly meet consumer expectations, brands must act on these emotional triggers — and that’s where personalization powered by AI comes in.
As digital discovery becomes more nuanced, brands are investing in tools that make online shopping feel personal, intuitive, and even serendipitous.
Brand-side findings from the report:
- 77% plan to use AI tools to improve product discovery
- 83% aim to enhance the overall UX using machine learning
- 68% believe that access to more customer data would help them create more relevant, personalized experiences
However, 79% of brand leaders acknowledge that data privacy concerns limit how effectively they can act on these insights. Consumers, for their part, understand this tension. Half agree that sharing more data improves product recommendations — but only if brands uphold transparency and offer control.
To bridge the emotional gap, personalization must go beyond mere targeting. It should anticipate needs, inspire trust, and deliver delight — turning routine shopping into a meaningful experience.
5 ways to improve online shopping experience (based on Criteo data)
Building on the insights from Criteo’s research, it’s clear that brands must rethink how they deliver value throughout the digital shopping journey. Beyond streamlining checkout flows and offering competitive prices, the most successful e-commerce experiences are the ones that evoke emotion, curiosity, and delight.
Here are five actionable strategies for brands looking to reignite joy and boost engagement in online shopping:
- Enhance product discovery tools – Add dynamic filters, interactive lookbooks, and smarter search results to help shoppers stumble upon things they didn’t know they wanted.
- Emotional storytelling in ads – With 39% of consumers responding to compelling advertising, invest in ad creative that triggers nostalgia, humor, or inspiration.
- Make brand websites central to the experience – 37% of shoppers feel excited when browsing a brand’s site. Design engaging, content-rich destinations instead of just product catalogs.
- Use AI for empathetic personalization – Predict not just what someone wants, but when and why they want it — based on real-world behavior, not just cookie data.
- Restore surprise and delight – Limited-time bundles, gamified discounts, or AI-powered “You might love this” moments can bring joy back to the shopping journey.
Final thought: Why emotion Is the e-commerce growth engine
If your e-commerce store isn’t making customers feel something, you’re not just missing out on a sale — you’re losing long-term loyalty.
Criteo’s 2025 research is clear: consumers crave emotional connection, not just cart efficiency. The brands that thrive will be the ones that personalize every phase of the journey, use AI to spark joyful discoveries, and design shopping experiences that are memorable, not mechanical.
By rekindling the spark of discovery, online retailers can transform their sites from digital shelves into destinations that engage, excite, and convert.
***
