Shopping: Retail therapy 2.0: Emotional discovery is the next click
- InsightTrendsWorld
- 23 hours ago
- 10 min read
Why it is the topic trending:
Shift in Shopping Habits: Shopping has transitioned from a physical, in-store activity to a predominantly 24/7 digital experience, encompassing various platforms like TikTok, Roblox, and Amazon.
Loss of "Spark": The article highlights a growing concern that while online shopping offers convenience, it lacks the emotional discovery and joy that traditional in-store shopping once provided.
Criteo Report Findings: The release of Criteo's latest report, "The Spark of Discovery: Reigniting the Emotion of E-Commerce," which surveyed thousands of consumers and brand leaders, brings empirical data to this discussion, making it a trending topic in retail and marketing.
Need for Emotional Connection in E-commerce: Brands are increasingly recognizing the need to reintroduce emotion and discovery into the online shopping experience to enhance customer engagement.
Exploration of Solutions: The article explores potential strategies and examples of how brands are trying to recapture the magic and emotional connection in the digital realm.
Overview: The article explores the shift of shopping from physical stores to a digital, always-on experience. It argues that while online shopping excels in efficiency and convenience, it has lost the emotional "spark" and joy of discovery that characterized in-store shopping. Criteo's report reveals that consumers desire joy from online shopping but find it lacking in surprise, delight, and emotional connection. The article then discusses how brands can leverage unexpected moments, AI, and reimagined physical retail experiences to recapture the magic of unplanned and unforgettable discoveries in the digital age.
Detailed findings:
In-store still satisfies: 40% of shoppers prefer in-real-life (IRL) experiences due to sensory appeal (71%) and practicality (64%).
E-com lacks "spark": 54% of consumers want joy from online shopping, but 76% feel it lacks surprise or delight. Additionally, 79% find it lonely, 78% overwhelming, and 29% consider it a chore. Efficiency (63%) and convenience (61%) remain key benefits.
Impulse buys still happen: 50% of consumers make unplanned purchases, predominantly in-store (36% vs. 13%). 36% feel the unexpected find is missing online, and 49% are most satisfied when they stumble upon something unplanned.
Discovery is a barrier: 61% of brands identify discovery as the biggest obstacle to engagement in e-commerce.
Emotional design is key: The article suggests using AI for emotional design, as exemplified by Google's tools matching users with beauty and fashion items based on described vibes.
Reimagining physical retail: Brands are exploring experiential retail, like H&M's portrait pop-up and Glossier's perfume launch with AI poetry and confetti clouds, to bring joy to life physically.
Unexpected digital touchpoints: Brands like Walmart are engaging with shoppers in unexpected online spaces like Minecraft Discords.
Key takeaway: While online shopping offers unparalleled convenience, it has lost the emotional spark of discovery, and brands need to find innovative ways to inject joy, surprise, and emotional connection into the digital experience to better engage consumers.
Main trend: The Re-Emotionalization of E-commerce. This trend signifies the growing recognition and effort by brands to reintroduce emotional elements like joy, surprise, and connection into the online shopping experience, which has become predominantly transactional and efficiency-driven.
Description of the trend (please name it): From Transaction to Connection: The Emotional Uplift of Digital Retail. This trend describes the evolving focus in e-commerce from purely facilitating transactions to creating more engaging and emotionally resonant online shopping experiences. Brands are exploring various strategies to mimic or even enhance the joy of discovery, the sensory appeal, and the sense of connection that traditional in-store shopping once offered, aiming to transform online shopping from a chore into a delightful experience.
What is consumer motivation: Consumers are motivated by efficiency and convenience when shopping online, but they also desire joy, surprise, delight, and a sense of connection in their shopping experiences, similar to what they might find in physical stores. They seek more than just a transaction; they want an engaging and perhaps even therapeutic experience.
What is driving trend: This trend is driven by consumer feedback highlighting the lack of emotional fulfillment in current online shopping experiences, the understanding that emotional connections foster brand loyalty and drive sales, and the availability of new technologies like AI that can help personalize and inject emotion into the digital journey. The enduring appeal of physical retail for its sensory and emotional aspects also reinforces the need to address this gap online.
What is motivation beyond the trend: Beyond the specific desire for emotional connection in online shopping, consumers are generally motivated by the need for self-expression, the thrill of discovery, the desire to treat themselves, and the social aspects of shopping, all of which contribute to the therapeutic element of retail.
Description of consumers article is referring to (what is their age?, what is their gender? What is their income? What is their lifestyle): The Criteo report surveyed 6,000 consumers across the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea, indicating a broad demographic base in terms of age, gender, income, and lifestyle. The findings likely represent a general sentiment across a diverse range of shoppers in these regions who engage with both online and offline retail.
Conclusions: The key conclusions are that while online shopping is efficient and convenient, it lacks the emotional "spark" and joy of discovery that many consumers desire. This emotional disconnect is a significant barrier to engagement for brands. To address this, brands need to explore innovative strategies using technology and reimagined physical experiences to reintroduce elements of surprise, delight, and connection into the e-commerce journey, ultimately transforming it from a mere transaction to a more fulfilling experience.
Implications for brands: Brands need to recognize the emotional gap in their online offerings and actively work to bridge it. Focusing solely on efficiency and delivery is no longer enough to fully engage consumers. Brands that can successfully inject joy, surprise, and a sense of connection into their digital touchpoints will likely see increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, sales. This requires rethinking the online shopping journey beyond mere functionality.
Implication for society: The shift in shopping habits has societal implications, affecting physical retail spaces and social interactions traditionally associated with shopping. The trend of re-emotionalizing e-commerce suggests an attempt to bring some of the social and emotional aspects of shopping back into the digital realm, potentially impacting how we connect with brands and products.
Implications for consumers: Consumers can expect to see more efforts from online retailers to make their shopping experiences more engaging and enjoyable beyond just convenience. This could manifest in more personalized recommendations, interactive content, unexpected surprises, and a greater sense of connection with brands. Consumers will likely benefit from a more holistic and potentially more satisfying online shopping experience.
Implication for Future: The future of retail will likely involve a greater blending of the digital and physical, with a strong emphasis on creating emotionally resonant experiences across all touchpoints. Technology like AI will play a crucial role in personalizing and injecting emotion into the online journey, while physical retail might evolve further into experiential spaces that complement the convenience of e-commerce.
Consumer Trend (name, detailed description): Emotion-Driven Digital Discovery. This trend describes the increasing consumer desire for online shopping experiences that evoke positive emotions like joy, surprise, and delight, moving beyond purely functional and transactional interactions to seek discovery and emotional fulfillment in the digital space.
Consumer Sub Trend (name, detailed description): The Blended Retail Expectation. Consumers are increasingly expecting a seamless and emotionally consistent experience across both online and offline retail channels. They want the convenience of e-commerce with some of the sensory and emotional satisfaction of in-store shopping, leading to a demand for blended retail strategies.
Big Social Trend (name, detailed description): The Loneliness Epidemic and the Search for Connection: In an increasingly digital world, there's a growing awareness of loneliness. The desire for more emotional connection in online shopping reflects a broader societal need for connection and positive emotional experiences, even in seemingly transactional settings.
Worldwide Social Trend (name, detailed description): Global Digital Commerce Maturation: As e-commerce matures globally, the focus is shifting from basic adoption and functionality to enhancing the quality and emotional aspects of the online shopping experience across different cultural contexts.
Social Drive (name, detailed description): The Pursuit of Happiness and Well-being: Shopping, for many, has always had an element of self-care and mood boosting. The desire for joy and delight in online shopping stems from the fundamental social drive to pursue happiness and enhance one's sense of well-being.
Learnings for brands to use in 2025 (bullets, detailed description):
Recognize the Emotional Gap: Acknowledge that online shopping, while convenient, often lacks emotional fulfillment for consumers.
Focus on Discovery: Implement strategies to make product discovery more engaging and surprising online, mirroring the serendipity of in-store finds.
Personalize with Emotion: Use data and technology like AI to personalize recommendations and create experiences that resonate emotionally with individual consumers.
Bridge the Physical and Digital: Consider how physical retail spaces can be reimagined to offer unique, emotional experiences that complement the online offering.
Embrace Unexpected Touchpoints: Explore non-traditional online spaces where consumers are already engaged to create surprising and delightful brand interactions.
Strategy Recommendations for brands to follow in 2025 (bullets, detail description):
Invest in AI-Powered Personalization: Utilize AI tools to understand consumer preferences and deliver curated content, product recommendations, and even dynamic website experiences that evoke specific moods or vibes.
Create Engaging Digital Content: Develop interactive content, rich media, and storytelling that goes beyond basic product descriptions to create an emotional connection with consumers.
Experiment with Unexpected Online Placements: Explore engaging with consumers on platforms and in digital spaces where they naturally congregate, offering delightful and unexpected brand interactions that don't feel overtly like traditional advertising.
Reimagine Brick-and-Mortar as Experiential Hubs: If applicable, transform physical retail locations into destinations that offer unique experiences, foster community, and build emotional connections with the brand, complementing the online convenience.
Focus on Post-Purchase Delight: Extend the emotional connection beyond the point of purchase through personalized follow-ups, surprise offerings, and engaging loyalty programs.
Final sentence (key concept) describing main trend from article (which is a summary of all trends specified): The future of successful e-commerce lies in strategically reintroducing emotional elements of joy and discovery into the digital shopping journey, moving beyond mere transactions to create meaningful connections with consumers.
What brands & companies should do in 2025 to benefit from trend and how to do it: In 2025, brands and companies should prioritize strategies that inject emotion back into the online shopping experience. This can be achieved by investing in AI-driven personalization to curate delightful and unexpected product discoveries, creating engaging and interactive digital content that tells a story, exploring unconventional digital spaces for brand interactions, reimagining physical retail as experiential hubs, and focusing on building emotional connections with consumers throughout their entire journey, ultimately fostering loyalty and driving engagement beyond simple transactions.
Final note:
Core Trend:
Name: The Emotional Revival of E-commerce
Detailed Description: E-commerce is evolving beyond transactional efficiency to prioritize the reintroduction of emotional elements like joy, surprise, and connection into the digital shopping experience.
Core Strategy:
Name: Emotional Design and Experiential Retail Fusion
Detailed Description: Brands should adopt a strategy that combines AI-powered emotional design in the digital realm with the creation of engaging and memorable physical retail experiences to build stronger customer connections.
Core Industry Trend:
Name: Blended Retail with Emotional Intelligence
Detailed Description: The retail industry is moving towards a blended model where online and offline channels are seamlessly integrated, with a growing emphasis on leveraging emotional intelligence to enhance the overall customer journey.
Core Consumer Motivation:
Name: Seeking Joy and Connection in Consumption
Detailed Description: Consumers are motivated by more than just acquiring goods; they seek enjoyment, discovery, and a sense of connection with brands and products, even in the digital shopping environment.
Final Conclusion: As online shopping matures, simply providing convenience and efficiency is no longer enough. The need to inject emotion, discovery, and connection back into the digital retail experience is paramount for brands to truly engage and satisfy consumers in the evolving landscape of e-commerce.
Core Trend: The Emotional Revival of E-commerce
Detailed Description: The core trend of the "Emotional Revival of E-commerce" describes the growing movement within the online retail industry to actively incorporate emotional elements into the digital shopping experience. This trend recognizes that while convenience and speed are crucial, the absence of joy, surprise, and a sense of connection in online shopping is a significant gap. Brands are now exploring and implementing strategies to re-emotionalize the e-commerce journey, aiming to recreate or even surpass the positive feelings traditionally associated with in-store shopping, ultimately fostering stronger customer relationships and driving engagement beyond mere transactions.
Key Characteristics of the Trend (summary):
Recognition of the emotional deficit in current e-commerce experiences.
Active efforts by brands to introduce elements of joy, surprise, and delight online.
Leveraging technology like AI to personalize and emotionally resonate with consumers.
Exploration of blended retail models that integrate physical and digital experiences with an emotional focus.
A shift from purely transactional online interactions towards building stronger brand-customer connections.
Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend (summary):
Criteo Report Findings: The report explicitly states that 54% of consumers want joy from online shopping, but 76% find it lacking, highlighting a clear consumer desire for more emotion.
Consumer Preference for In-Store Sensory Appeal: The 71% of shoppers citing sensory appeal as a reason for preferring in-store experiences indicates a need to address this emotional aspect online.
Brand Initiatives: Examples like Walmart's presence in Minecraft Discords, Google's AI beauty/fashion tools, and H&M's and Glossier's experiential pop-ups demonstrate brands actively trying to inject emotion into the retail experience.
Consumer Desire for Unexpected Finds: The fact that 49% of consumers are most satisfied when they stumble upon something unplanned underscores the missing element of discovery and surprise online.
Brand Identification of "Discovery" as a Barrier: The 61% of brands recognizing discovery as a major engagement challenge signals an industry-wide awareness of the need for a more emotionally driven approach.
How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior (summary):
Increased Expectations for Engaging Online Experiences: Consumers are beginning to expect more than just efficiency from online retailers; they are looking for enjoyable and emotionally rewarding interactions.
Greater Appreciation for Personalized and Curated Experiences: AI-driven tools that personalize recommendations and create themed assortments cater to the desire for less overwhelming and more delightful discovery.
Potential for Increased Loyalty to Emotionally Intelligent Brands: Brands that successfully create positive emotional experiences online may foster stronger customer loyalty and retention.
Demand for Seamless and Emotionally Consistent Omnichannel Experiences: Consumers will likely favor brands that provide a consistent and emotionally satisfying experience across all their online and offline touchpoints.
Seeking "Retail Therapy" Online: As traditional in-store shopping becomes less frequent, consumers may increasingly look to online experiences to provide the emotional fulfillment associated with retail therapy.
Implications Across the Ecosystem (summary):
For Brands and CPGs: Brands need to prioritize emotional design and create digital experiences that evoke positive feelings in consumers, moving beyond purely functional e-commerce sites.
For Retailers: Retailers must innovate their online platforms to facilitate discovery, inject surprise and delight, and foster a sense of connection. This might involve integrating new technologies and rethinking the user journey.
For Consumers: Consumers can anticipate more engaging, personalized, and potentially more satisfying online shopping experiences as brands respond to the desire for emotional connection.
Strategic Forecast: The "Emotional Revival of E-commerce" is poised to become a defining characteristic of the future retail landscape. As technology advances and consumer expectations evolve, brands that fail to address the emotional gap in their online offerings risk falling behind. The integration of AI, the reimagining of digital and physical spaces, and a deep understanding of consumer psychology will be crucial for success in this new era of emotionally intelligent retail.
Final Thought: The journey of online shopping is evolving from a purely transactional one to an experience that seeks to recapture and enhance the emotional resonance of retail, ultimately aiming to bring the "spark" back to the click.
Comments