Fifty nine per cent of US and UK consumers surveyed admit they often leave ecommerce stores because the onsite search is poor. But in addition to leaving to search on Google or a rival online retailer, 40% now say they’re likely to switch to the likes of ChatGPT or Claude when they’re shown irrelevant onsite search results. The same number (40%²) also agree that AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude are now more helpful than the onsite search tools offered on many online shopping sites.
The survey of 2,000 US and UK consumers suggests that while shoppers are prepared to try to overcome poor onsite search by rewriting queries or using filters to narrow down the results, a substantial proportion are likely to leave when they see irrelevant results: 62% are likely to go to Google; 53% are likely to go to another shopping website; and 40% are likely to turn to a general AI tool like ChatGPT or Claude (rising to 50% for consumers under 45)³.
The research, which was commissioned by Nosto, the agentic Commerce Experience Platform (CXP), suggests that shoppers are often dissatisfied with the quality of results and the practical difficulties of using onsite search on ecommerce sites.
Tuukka Häkkinen, chief product officer at Nosto, said: “Consumers’ expectations about ecommerce onsite search are likely to have been raised by their experience of using AI assistants. This may explain why four in ten now say they are likely to leave ecommerce stores for the likes of ChatGPT or Claude when they’re not happy with the onsite search results. It’s a wake-up call for retailers to improve their search or risk driving shoppers away.”
The frustrations shoppers say they come up against ‘often’ aren’t just about irrelevant results. The data suggests that traditional onsite search forces them to do too much work. As well as the results not matching what they typed (64%), shoppers complain about being shown too many results to scroll through (search overload) (70%); the struggle of finding the right words to describe what they want (62%); and the same products being listed even after changing the search terms over and over (66%)¹.
| What frustrates shoppers most about onsite search? | % |
| GETTING THE QUERY RIGHT | |
| I have to use very specific, exact terms | 70% |
| I know what I want but can’t find the words | 62% |
| I’ve seen a photo of it but can’t describe it | 61% |
| TOO MUCH TO SIFT THROUGH | |
| There are way too many results to scroll through | 70% |
| The whole process takes too long | 61% |
| RESULTS THAT MISS | |
| I keep seeing the same products over and over | 66% |
| The filters are too generic | 65% |
| Results show items that don’t match what I typed | 64% |
Many of these frustrations are because traditional onsite search is not able to understand shopper intent, a problem which AI is better at handling according to Tuukka Häkkinen:
“Shoppers often struggle to find the precise words to describe what they’re searching for–at times, they might have only a vague idea. In fashion, for example, someone might be looking for ‘a smart casual outfit for a summer wedding’, rather than searching for a very specific product.
“AI is better able to address this type of query because it goes beyond simple keyword matching – by understanding more natural conversational language and descriptions. And by asking follow-up questions, AI can help narrow down options. It’s got the potential to make product discovery easier, quicker and less frustrating.”
Shoppers are ready for retailers to bring AI into onsite search
The good news for online retailers is that most shoppers are receptive to AI being used directly on retail sites to enhance onsite search; 72% have already tried or would be open to retailers using AI to improve search on their sites. 63%⁴ agree it would help if an AI assistant helped them refine or improve their search query on a retail site by asking additional questions to clarify what they are looking for.
Among consumers who have already used AI-powered onsite search on retail shopping sites, more than 95% believe AI search technology can be helpful in a variety of ecommerce sectors or types of purchase. The ecommerce sectors where they see AI being most helpful are Electronics and Appliances (33%) and Clothing and Fashion (32%), followed by Groceries and Everyday Essentials (29%), and Beauty and Skincare (25%).
When Nosto’s survey asked consumers what they would want or expect if retailers introduced AI to improve onsite search, many answers matched the frustrations they highlighted about traditional ecommerce search. As well as wanting AI to help them find products faster (34%), they want it to narrow down choices (30%), to understand what they mean even when their search queries are not clear (27%); show fewer, more relevant products instead of long lists of less relevant results (26%); and to guide them by suggesting products when they’re unsure about what they want (24%).
| What shoppers want/ expect from AI if it was introduced to improve ecommerce onsite search | % |
| Helps me find products I am looking for faster | 34% |
| Helps me narrow down choices when there are too many options | 30% |
| Gives me the option to use AI or not use AI | 29% |
| Understands what I am searching for even when I can’t describe it clearly | 27% |
| Shows me a smaller number of highly relevant products that closely match what I am looking for (rather than more results that also include less relevant products) | 26% |
| Guides me and gives me ideas to help me find products I might like, when I’m not entirely sure what I want | 24% |
| Lets me search using a photo instead of words | 22% |
Consumers’ main concerns about retailers using AI to improve onsite search relate to privacy, control, and transparency. 73% are concerned that stores will track and collect their personal data to train AI; 71% that AI will recommend products to increase retailer profits rather than focusing on what’s best for shoppers; and 69% that shoppers will be forced to use AI without being able to switch back to traditional search. 69% are also concerned that AI features will interrupt and distract them while they shop⁵.
| Shoppers’ concerns about retailers introducing AI to improve onsite search | % |
| The online store will track my personal data, shopping habits, online behaviors, and uploaded photos to train their AI (Privacy and data tracking) | 73% |
| AI will push certain products because they are more profitable for the online store rather than being the best choice for me | 71% |
| I’ll be forced to use AI to search without an option to switch back to traditional search | 69% |
| AI features constantly pop up, interrupt, and distract me while I am shopping (Screen clutter) | 69% |
| AI will wrongly assume what I like based on my previous shopping or browsing behavior | 68% |
| The AI will limit my choices by hiding some items in search results that I might otherwise have considered | 67% |
| AI will misinterpret my words and show irrelevant products | 65% |
According to Häkkinen, retailers will need to earn shoppers’ trust by being clear about when their data is being used to improve AI-powered search, what data is involved and why. They should also be given the ability to turn the AI experience on or off. The ideal product discovery experience should use AI in several ways, he said:
“First, AI can work in the background to make search better by understanding less precise queries and returning more relevant results. On top of that, agentic capabilities can proactively help shoppers refine those results, for example by asking follow-up questions, or automatically applying relevant filters, all without getting in the shopper’s way and with the option to undo or turn off these actions. And when shoppers want more help, they should be able to trigger a chat with an AI shopping agent for a more guided conversational experience.”
“Personalisation technology can be used to ensure that AI-powered search results are even more relevant to individual shoppers. By prioritising products that best meet shoppers’ needs, personalization also helps deliver the best results for the retailers’ business.”
Download the full survey report from Nosto at: https://www.nosto.com/blog/ai-search-in-ecommerce-consumer-expectations-readiness/
