326. 76% of Consumers Think Online Shopping is BORING. Here’s How YOU can Stand Out

I was reading this super interesting report the other day from Criteo called “The Spark of Discovery,” and it really got me thinking about the importance of trying to recreate the in-person experience online. 

I’ve always believed that brick-and-mortar retail will never completely disappear; and for good reason. Shopping isn’t just about buying stuff; it’s about the experience. It’s a day out. Lunch with your girlfriend or your mom. Wandering through Nordstrom Rack or HomeGoods, latte in hand, ready for whatever hidden treasures you might find.

There’s something irreplaceable about it. Touching fabrics, feeling the weight of a product in your hand, smelling perfumes or candles, trying on clothes to see how they really fit and feel on your body. It’s even more important when you’re shopping for things like apparel or beauty products, where texture, fit, and color can make all the difference.

And then there’s the thrill of discovery… that magic moment when you stumble across something you weren’t looking for, but suddenly can’t live without. Maybe it’s that cute little gift near the register, or the perfect dress buried deep in the clearance rack. It’s that spark, that excitement, that keeps people coming back.

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The Emotional Disconnect in Online Shopping

But here’s the thing — according to this Criteo report, 76% of consumers say online shopping lacks surprise or delight. 76%! Three-quarters of shoppers feel that online shopping is missing that joy of discovery.

And it makes sense when you think about it. Online shopping has become incredibly efficient, intentionally so. We go to a website, we search for exactly what we want, we click a few buttons, and it arrives at our door. It’s convenient as hell, but where’s the fun in that?

The report found that 

• 73% of consumers describe online shopping as “practical, but not exciting.” Yikes.
• 79% even say it feels lonely. And 
• 29% straight-up call it a chore.

This is a massive opportunity that so many eCommerce brands are missing. Because when we build emotional connections with our customers, they’re not just more likely to buy — they’re more likely to come back, spend more, and tell others about us.

Recreating the In-Person Experience Online

So how do we fix this? When I’m working with my clients, I always ask them: “How can we recreate the in-person experience online?”

People need to touch and feel things, right? We’re sensory creatures. In a physical store, customers can pick up products, feel the texture, try them on, smell them. They can have conversations with sales associates who share stories about the products.

Online, we have to get creative about how we recreate these sensory and discovery experiences. The good news is we have so many tools at our disposal to make this happen.

Creating Discovery Moments

According to the survey, a full 50% of shoppers say they’re happiest when they find something they weren’t expecting. People love the discovery of going into a brick-and-mortar store and shopping the gift table or sifting through the racks to find something unexpected.

But most online stores today feel like a giant catalog. Functional? Yes. Fun? Not so much.

Let’s talk practical strategies for creating those moments of discovery in your online store.

• Offer mystery gifts with purchase. (Who doesn’t love a surprise?) This recreates that little “extras” moment that brick and mortar retailers have mastered to keep customers coming back.
• Create Mystery Box products. Curate a bundle of best-sellers or limited editions and let the customer “unbox” the surprise. This creates anticipation and excitement around the shopping experience.
• Drop secret products without heavy promotion — let it feel like a hidden treasure for those paying attention. I’ve seen brands create an incredible sense of community and exclusivity this way.
• Highlight hidden gems on your website — maybe a “Weekly Spotlight” featured product. This is like that moment when a store associate says, “Have you seen this? It just came in and I think you’ll love it.”
• Gamify the shopping experience. Try scavenger hunts, “spin the wheel” discounts, or scratch-off codes. This reminds me of how Steve Madden used to do scratch-offs all the time. Either when you walk into the store or even as a bounce-back in your package, you’d get this scratch-off card with different discounts toward your next purchase. This can be something fun you stick in people’s purchases online, give away at in-person markets, or create digitally with a spin-to-win.
• Tuck surprise discounts inside email footers or post-purchase pages. These “Easter eggs” reward curious customers and create those delightful discovery moments.
• Recommend non-obvious cross-sells. Pair that candle not just with a wick trimmer but maybe with a cozy playlist download. Tools like Selly (my favorite for cross-sells) or ReConvert for post-purchase upsells (I have an affiliate link that gets you 10% off for life) can help you implement this strategy easily. Make your recommendations unexpected and delightful.

Make shopping with you feel like a little adventure, not a to-do list. When customers genuinely enjoy browsing your store, they’ll spend more time discovering products, add more to their cart, and come back more often. Discovery isn’t just about pushing more products—it’s about creating those magical “I didn’t know I needed this, but now I can’t live without it” moments that transform a functional shopping experience into a memorable journey they’ll want to repeat. In a world of algorithm-driven sameness, be the brand that still surprises and delights.

Reduce Overwhelm with Better Merchandising

The Criteo report found that 78% of shoppers feel overwhelmed by too many choices when shopping online. This “paradox of choice” is real – too many options can actually paralyze customers rather than empowering them.

Too many choices. Too much endless scrolling. Not enough clarity. The exact opposite of a curated in-store experience, where merchandising guides your shopping journey.

Let’s fix that:

• Curate small collections. “Top 10 Must-Haves,” “Spring Essentials,” “Jessica’s Picks.” Give them a starting point instead of endless scrolling. This is like those well-designed displays you see at the front of a physical store – they guide you and make decisions easier.
• Lead with bestsellers. Don’t throw customers into a giant collection with 400 products. Start with your proven winners. When customers see what others love, it creates confidence in their own purchase decisions.
• Use product recommendation quizzes. This is one of my absolute favorite tools for reducing overwhelm while creating personalization. Rather than making customers browse through everything, a quiz guides them to exactly what they need. My favorite platforms are Product Recommendations by Revenue Hunt and Prehook. These quizzes create that guided shopping experience that mimics having a helpful associate in a physical store.
• Bundle products together. Make decision-making easier and increase your AOV at the same time. Shopify Bundles is free and uses your existing product listings while managing inventory, making it super easy to implement. Bundles say “these items work great together” so customers don’t have to figure it out themselves.
• Simplify navigation. Clean, intuitive categories. Easy filters. My Shopify Secrets course will help you better organize your product content to create a more discovery-friendly browsing experience that reduces that overwhelming feeling.

The easier you make it to shop, the more joy you bring to the process. When customers feel confident rather than confused, they’re much more likely to complete their purchase and come back for more.

Bring Products to Life with Video & Interaction

According to the Criteo report, 51% of consumers choose in-store shopping to experience products firsthand before purchasing.

One of the biggest challenges of online shopping? It’s flat. It’s two-dimensional. We miss the smells, textures, sounds that make in-person shopping so engaging.

Video and interactivity help bridge that gap:

• Create quick TikTok/Reel-style product demos. Show products in action — don’t just tell. 
• Use 360° spin videos and close-ups so shoppers can feel like they’re picking it up off the shelf. This is especially important for products where details and texture matter – jewelry, clothing, home decor, or anything where craftsmanship is a selling point.
• Host live shopping events. Host live shopping events. These don’t have to be fancy. Go live on Instagram, Facebook, or even TikTok. In Episode 233 with Omar Zenhom, we talked extensively about the power of live video for product-based businesses. Omar shared how live shopping creates real-time interaction that mimics the in-store experience, allowing customers to ask questions, request to see products from different angles, and get immediate responses. This two-way conversation builds trust and helps customers feel more confident in their purchase decisions. The spontaneous, unscripted nature of live video also creates authenticity that pre-recorded content often lacks. Whether you’re showcasing new arrivals, demonstrating how products work, or hosting a Q&A, live shopping events transform passive browsing into an interactive, engaging experience.
• Feature customer unboxing videos. They’re social proof and they recreate that exciting moment of receiving the product. Unboxing videos tap into the anticipation and excitement that comes with receiving something new – emotions that are hard to convey with static images.
• Encourage user-generated content. Show real customers using your products in real life. This helps potential buyers envision how products would fit into their own lives and builds community around your brand.

Video isn’t optional anymore. It’s table stakes. In a world where online shoppers feel disconnected from products, video is your most powerful tool to rebuild that sensory bridge and recreate the in-person shopping experience digitally.

Build in Surprise and Delight Moments

This is one of my favorite topics because it’s so simple and so effective, and it directly addresses that 50% statistic from the report about shoppers feeling most satisfied when they find something unexpected.

Small surprises = Big emotional payoffs.

• Include free samples or small gifts randomly with orders. 
• Send “We Picked This for You” personalized emails based on browsing behavior. This is where tools like Klaviyo shine, letting you segment and personalize based on previous interactions. It’s like when a boutique owner remembers what you liked last time and sets something aside for you – that personal touch that builds loyalty.
• Celebrate customer milestones — think birthday discounts, first purchase anniversaries, etc. This is relationship-building 101. In brick and mortar, regular customers might get special treatment; online, we need to be more intentional about creating these recognition moments. 

Happy accidents aren’t accidental — they’re carefully engineered. The most successful eCommerce brands plan these “unexpected” moments strategically, knowing exactly which touchpoints create the biggest emotional impact. When done right, these small surprises create the stories customers tell their friends about – turning them from one-time buyers into passionate advocates.

Leverage Customer Data Thoughtfully

The good news from the Criteo report? Customers want personalization.

• 43% of shoppers say they appreciate when brands use their data to create better experiences — as long as it’s transparent.

In Episode 325, “The Goldmine You’re Sitting On: How to Use Zero & First-Party Data,” we went deep on how collecting and using customer data ethically can transform your eCommerce business. This isn’t about stalking your customers—it’s about creating genuinely helpful, relevant experiences.

Here’s how to do it without being creepy:

• Make smart product recommendations based on past behavior. Tools like Selly (my favorite cross-sell app) or ReConvert for post-purchase upsells (I have an affiliate link that gets you 10% off for life) can help introduce customers to products they didn’t know they needed in a way that feels helpful rather than intrusive.
  
• Segment emails and site content so customers only see what’s most relevant to them. When someone only gets emails about products and categories they’re actually interested in, your marketing suddenly transforms from “annoying spam” to “helpful updates.”
  
• Reward loyalty with early access or special bundles. Customers are much more willing to share data when they get tangible benefits in return. Exclusive access to new products, personalized bundles, or early sale access makes them feel valued, not exploited.
  
• Be transparent. Tell customers exactly why you’re collecting data and how you use it to serve them better. People are generally willing to share information when they understand the purpose and see the direct benefit to their shopping experience.
  

Personalization should feel like a magic trick — not like surveillance. The goal is to create those “How did they know exactly what I needed?” moments that make customers feel understood and appreciated, not watched or tracked. When done right, personalization recreates that feeling of walking into your favorite local shop where they remember your preferences and make thoughtful suggestions.

Focus on Emotional Engagement

At the core of everything we’ve discussed today is one fundamental truth: customers crave emotional connection, not just with your brand, but with your actual products. The Criteo report found that 79% of online shoppers describe the experience as lonely, highlighting just how critical creating genuine emotional connections really is.

There are several powerful ways to build these connections that transform transactional relationships into meaningful experiences:

• Write emotional product copy that engages the senses. Don’t just list features—describe how the fabric feels against the skin, how the scent transforms a room, or how a product makes your customer feel when using it. Connect your products to the emotions and experiences they enable. Great copy can transport customers and create that sensory connection that’s missing online.
• Connect as a founder or brand owner. Share your personal story, your passion for the products, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your process. In a world of faceless corporations, authentic human connection stands out dramatically. 
• Build genuine community around your products. Create spaces—whether Facebook groups, Instagram communities, or on-site forums—where customers can share experiences with your products, offer styling advice, or simply connect with like-minded people. This directly fights that “lonely” feeling so many online shoppers report and transforms a transactional relationship into a meaningful community experience.
• Send personal thank-you notes. This simple gesture creates a powerful emotional moment after purchase. Tools like Ignite Post create genuine hand-written notes mailed directly to your customer. In episode 207, I spoke with their Founder about how these tangible touchpoints increase lifetime value and reduce churn in ways digital communications simply can’t match. That unexpected personal connection creates a moment of delight that transforms the post-purchase experience.

Final Thoughts: The Future of eCommerce is Emotional

Here’s the truth, friend: People aren’t just looking for stuff to buy. They’re looking for experiences. They’re looking for emotion. They’re looking for joy.

If you want to stand out today — if you want customers to choose you again and again — you have to give them more than a product. You have to give them a feeling.

Engineer joy. Engineer discovery. Engineer the happy accidents that make shopping with you a delight instead of a chore.

You’re not just selling candles, jewelry, or dresses. You’re selling little sparks of happiness in a world that desperately needs more of it.

You’ve got this.