The "Add to Cart" Blues: Why Online Shopping Needs a Spark of Joy (And How Brands Can Ignite It)
- 365 Digital
- May 6
- 5 min read
Online shopping has undoubtedly changed our lives. It's the king of convenience, the champion of comparison, and hit a staggering $4.14 trillion globally in 2024. However, online Shopping Needs a Spark of Joy.
👈 Listen to an audio summary of the Report
Findings from Criteo's Spark of Discovery 2025 report, based on 6,000 consumer responses, indicate that while online shopping excels in practicality, it often falls short emotionally. Consumers prioritise it largely due to its efficiency (63%) and convenience (61%), according to two-thirds of those surveyed. However, the report suggests this perceived emotional gap doesn't negate the potential for brands to leverage online platforms for innovative audience outreach and experiences impossible in physical stores.
But while it's functional, is it fun? or for many consumers, the answer is often "not really."
"Shopping is no longer seen as a special occasion because it’s so ubiquitous. We no longer go shopping because we’re always shopping.
Despite the ease, there's a clear indication that e-commerce isn't always inspiring the emotional experience that consumers want. A significant majority feel that online shopping lacks surprise or delight (76%) making it the least exciting shopping experience compared to other formats.
In fact, the survey indicates that shoppers describe online shopping in less than enthusiastic terms:
It feels unexciting (76%)
Nearly four in five say it feels lonely (79%) compared to in-store experiences.
It can be overwhelming due to too many product choices (78%).
For some, it even feels like a chore (29%) rather than enjoyable.
The root of this emotional gap often boils down to one thing: the missing spark of discovery.
The Joy of the Unexpected
Think about the thrill of stumbling upon a unique item in a physical store, or seeing something you didn't know you needed that just clicks. This joy of the unexpected is a powerful feeling that many shoppers crave, but 36% of shoppers agree that the ‘unexpected find’ is largely absent from their online shopping experience.
This craving for emotion and surprise is evident in shopper behaviour. Half of consumers (50%) make emotion-driven impulse purchases– unplanned items chosen in the moment based on seeking an emotional uplift, overcoming boredom, or social influence.
"Brands can make online shopping more fulfilling, with the joy, excitement and thrill of the unexpected. Data is central to this.
These unexpected purchases can significantly enhance the customer experience. In fact, 49% agree they are most satisfied with their shopping experience when they’ve found something new and unexpected rather than just sticking to their list.
This suggests that retailers may be missing a key opportunity to inject surprise online and provide the emotional experience many consumers want.
Why Emotion Matters in E-commerce:
In today's attention economy, where content constantly competes and shopping is ubiquitous, what truly resonates is how a brand makes consumers feel. When consumers have an emotional connection with brands, they are happy to spend more money and keep coming back, whatever the category.
Turning online shopping from a task into an enjoyable experience that fosters discovery, excitement, and loyalty is key for brands to stand out.
Igniting the Spark: How Brands Can Rekindle the Joy
The good news is that brands can inject spontaneity and the unexpected back into online discovery. The Spark of Discovery 2025 report highlights that it's about being intentional and strategic.
Make Discovery a Central Focus: Algorithmic efficiency has made online shopping effective, but sometimes emotionless. It's time to put the spark of discovery front and centre again. Brands need to actively plan for moments of serendipity.
Target Key Emotional Touch points: The consumer journey isn't always linear, offering many moments to connect. The earliest encounters are particularly key for sparking positive sentiment.
Consumers feel positive when browsing for a new product (52%) when they've just discovered a new brand (46%), and when seeing brand ads (39%).
Brands should leverage these initial moments to build emotional resonance.
Leverage Data and AI for "Planned Serendipity": Data is crucial for making online shopping more fulfilling and delivering the joy of the unexpected. By using real commerce data and predictive technology, brands can deliver smarter recommendations. AI is creating significant opportunities to anticipate consumer preferences, personalise offers, and create positive surprises. Many brands are leaning on AI tools, with 77% planning to use them to remove guesswork from discovery and 83% to improve user experience. The goal? Using precision in data to make a carefully crafted recommendation seem like an unexpected but serendipitous suggestion. As the report puts it, the "happiest accidents are the ones retailers plan in advance".
What Truly Excites Consumers?
Brands need to know the specific aspects of online shopping that generate excitement.
42%
41%
36%
34%
23%
Interestingly, browsing the brand website and convenient support excite consumers more than seeing influencer content, which brands may be overestimating.
Brands understand the importance of excitement — across the report, the vast majority of brand leaders (84%) prioritise customers having a joyful experience when they interact with their brand.
But it may be that the emphasis could be adjusted for greater impact.
Brands should focus on these areas for greater impact:
Cultivate Trust via Data Transparency: Address the core tension between personalisation benefits and privacy fears. Consumers see value in data use (50% understand it enhances shopping, 43% want it for relevance), but privacy is a major hurdle (acknowledged by 79% of brands). Overcome this by being explicit about data practices and granting consumers meaningful control—this is essential for building trust.
Infuse Emotion and Discovery into the Journey: Move beyond pure efficiency. Strategically design the online experience to incorporate moments of delight, surprise, and discovery, aligning with the customer's emotional state.
Leverage Data & AI for Meaningful Personalisation: Use technology, grounded in the trust built through transparency, to deliver relevant and personalized interactions. The goal is to transform online shopping from a transaction into an engaging, memorable, and loyalty-building experience that feels both efficient and joyful.
It's time to reignite the emotion of ecommerce. Explore findings from a survey of consumers and brand leaders about the emotion of ecommerce and how brands can rekindle the spark of discovery that online shoppers are missing today.
Get in touch with 365 Digital today to Reignite Joy in Online Shopping: sales@365digital.africa.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Criteo partnered with Harvard PR and market research specialist Vitreous World to conduct a representative global online survey with a sample size of 6000 consumers and 600 brand leaders across six markets - the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea.
The survey explored the topic of discovery and joy in shopping. All data points referenced are global figures. The consumer survey was conducted February 7-17, 2025, and the B2B study February 10-27, 2025.