MUMBAI: Online shopping has become a routine, mechanical experience—efficient, but stripped of the magic it once held. According to The Spark of Discovery – Reigniting The Emotion of Ecommerce, a new report by commerce media company Criteo , 76% of consumers say online shopping lacks excitement, with nearly 29% describing it as a chore rather than an enjoyable activity.
As e-commerce platforms continue to prioritise speed and convenience, brands risk overlooking the emotional element that drives loyalty and deeper engagement. In a dynamic and competitive market like India, missing out on moments of discovery could mean losing relevance. To truly connect with consumers, brands need to go beyond functionality and reintroduce surprise, inspiration, and a sense of delight into the shopping experience.
Ecommerce is efficient, not emotive: The thrill of browsing, stumbling upon an unexpected find and making an impulse purchase is fading fast. Today, 61% of shoppers turn to online shopping purely for convenience, while a third (36%) lament the loss of ‘unexpected finds’ – a key driver of retail joy. Consumers crave more than just speed and efficiency; they want surprise, spontaneity, and emotional connection in their digital shopping experiences. When it comes to celebrating major life milestones, only 18% of consumers choose to do so through online shopping. Instead, they prefer to mark memorable occasions with in-person experiences that online shopping has yet to replicate.
Are brands making a lasting impact?
Some brands have a tough time building genuine connections with consumers. Over a third (39%) of shoppers say engaging ads make them feel positively towards a brand, but when it comes to deeper brand relationships, some digital marketing strategies could be revised. When directly engaging with a brand, 41% feel excited when reading a positive review or forum discussion, proving third-party endorsement is a powerful driver of brand trust. Customers also want brands to understand the context of their transactions, as 43% of online shoppers expect brands to use their data to create personalised experiences.
Online retail must compete for consumer attention
Brands are jostling to stand out to their target audiences in a fragmented consumer journey. Almost 4 in 5 (79%) consumers feel online shopping is lonely, and 78% say they are overwhelmed by too many product choices. Worse still, only 50% find online shopping relaxing or enjoyable.
55% of brand leaders believe influencers drive traffic, but only 29% of consumers say influencer content makes them feel positively towards a brand. Instead, 73% of consumers say visiting a brand’s website contributes to their excitement, underlining the important role of owned digital experiences in driving brand engagement and trust and highlighting a vital opportunity for brands to connect with shoppers.
Discovery is the key to brand growth
Despite clear consumer demand for more engaging shopping experiences, almost all brand leaders (98%) believe their discovery strategies are effective and 80% stating their approach contributes to brand growth. While 79% of brands acknowledge that data privacy concerns hinder their ability to refine discovery strategies, this also presents a clear opportunity – almost half (43%) of online shoppers are open to brands using their data when it leads to better, more personalised experiences, provided it’s done transparently and with trust. With more than four in five (83%) brands set to lean on AI tools to improve user experience, and the use of commerce data vital to building accurate pictures of customer behaviour for properly personalised experiences, the ecommerce industry is at a turning point.
Medhavi Singh, Country Head Criteo India, said, “There was a time when shopping meant excitement – a sense of adventure, the joy of stumbling upon something unexpected. But now, shopping isn’t something we set out to do – it’s constant, woven into our everyday lives. Yet this always-on convenience hasn’t made the experience any more thrilling. Instead, online shopping has become a streamlined task – fast, yes, but lacking in surprise and delight. Our report reveals that consumers still long for those moments of unexpected discovery, but in today’s digital landscape, those experiences are rare and left mostly to chance. Brands that lack in bringing joy back into the shopping journey are at risk of blending into the background of a monotonous and forgettable process.
“With the right blend of emotional storytelling and real-time data, brands can craft personalized, serendipitous experiences – recreating the magic of finding something special, even when the shopper wasn’t looking for it. AI and data should do more than just targetting the right person at the right time; but it should rather spark inspiration and surprise shoppers with the suggestions they could ever aspire and think of. And hence, consumers want to be understood beyond their transaction history. The brands that design experiences to be immersive, exciting, and emotionally resonant – not just efficient – will be the ones that stand out, earn customer loyalty, and drive sustainable growth.”
