VML Report: Poor CX & AI Search Impacting Retail

A recent VML report reveals a significant gap between consumer expectations and the performance of brands in digital commerce. The Future Shopper 2025 report, which surveyed over 25,000 shoppers across 16 countries, indicates that despite years of digital transformation, brands continue to struggle with fundamental aspects such as value, speed, trust, and delivering seamless experiences. While consumers increasingly expect rapid delivery and AI-driven simplifications, 45% abandon their online shopping carts due to frustrating digital experiences.

The report underscores that these issues are not merely UX problems but represent a significant business risk for retailers failing to adapt to evolving customer expectations. As AI becomes integral to shopping experiences, brands must address these challenges to maintain customer loyalty.

Key Findings from the Future Shopper 2025 Report

The Future Shopper 2025 report provides critical insights into the shifting landscape of digital commerce. In its ninth year, the study highlights how consumer behavior is evolving across different markets and the implications for retail strategies. One of the key findings is that despite substantial investments in digital technologies, many brands are failing to meet customer expectations in terms of experience and satisfaction.

The report emphasizes that these issues are not minor complaints but indicators of a market where customer loyalty must be continuously earned and can be easily lost. AI is now playing a pivotal role in shaping shopping experiences, with search engines regaining importance due to AI integrations that offer more context-aware product searches.

This shift signals a move away from loyalty to specific platforms toward prioritizing overall user experience. Consumers are increasingly loyal to sources that provide quick answers and value, rather than to traditional marketplaces.

The Role of Personalization

Personalization remains a double-edged sword. While the concept of personalization holds promise, its implementation often falls short. Consumers are frustrated by generic recommendations, irrelevant retargeting, and outdated segmentation. Marketers must focus on delivering personalization that provides genuine value rather than simply pushing products. AI should be leveraged to simplify decision-making for consumers.

The study also reveals a decline in the influence of marketplaces, with their share of consumer spending dropping from 29% to 22%. Instead, shoppers are adopting a more flexible, omnichannel approach, using a variety of platforms including search engines, social media, and brand websites. For marketers, this shift underscores the importance of a direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategy and ensuring a connected ecosystem across all digital touchpoints.

Actionable Strategies

To address these challenges, VML recommends several actionable strategies:

1. Fix your CX foundation: With 45% of shoppers abandoning purchases due to poor UX, brands must assess and improve their entire customer journey.
2. Embrace AI to reduce friction: Leverage AI to speed up decisions, improve recommendations, and offer faster fulfillment.
3. Prepare for rapid delivery: Shoppers expect fast delivery, making speed a critical component of any retail strategy.
4. Diversify beyond marketplaces: Ensure a connected ecosystem across websites, search engines, social media, and partners.
5. Make personalization useful: Focus on anticipating consumer intent rather than relying on past behavior.

The Future Shopper 2025 report serves as a wake-up call for brands still relying on outdated digital strategies. Shoppers demand more—faster fulfillment, better discovery, and personalized value. Brands that use AI to enhance the customer experience will thrive, while those that fail to adapt risk losing customers to more agile competitors.