The consumer has hit full Goldilocks mode. That’s according to the latest research from AB Tasty. In its report, The Spontaneous Shift: Consumer E-Commerce Trends for 2026, researchers found that shoppers want convenience without friction, personalization without overstepping, and innovation that enhances rather than complicates the experience. They’re mobile-first, selective with their attention, and increasingly open to tools like AI and automation, but only when used thoughtfully.
This presents several key insights for brands looking to engage with retail media, and also for the retail media networks in positioning ads for the highest chance of success.
Search: Product discovery remains anchored in search. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%) start their shopping journey on Google, while 39% go directly to a favourite brand’s website.
For younger audiences, discovery habits are shifting. Mobile apps rank as the second-most popular discovery channel for Gen Z (48%), and one in four Gen Z shoppers discover products via influencers or affiliate links, compared to just 2% of Baby Boomers.
Mobile: By the end of 2024, smartphones accounted for nearly 80% of global retail site traffic and more than two-thirds of online orders. Categories such as apparel, cosmetics, and entertainment skew heavily mobile, while even traditionally desktop-led sectors like travel show growing “always mobile” behaviour.
Mindset: The most common shopper personality identified in the survey is “comparison-oriented” (30%), followed by review-oriented (21%). Only 11% of shoppers identify as “speedy,” prioritising fast checkout over research. Impulse buying is neither rare nor guaranteed. Forty-five percent of shoppers say they sometimes make spontaneous purchases, while another 29% do so rarely. Only 10% say they never deviate from their original plan.
“Our research finds that 85% of shoppers are now open to impulse purchases, with ‘mostly spontaneous’ buyers tripling year-over-year. The good news is retail media is uniquely positioned to capitalise on this new mindset. To do this, brands should spend less time focusing on long, pre-planned funnels and more on influencing decisions at the moment intent materialises. Retail media benefits from appearing directly within the shopping journey – for instance through sponsored product placements, or add-on recommendations on product pages. In these environments, retail media can tip an impulse buyer from browsing into purchase,” suggests John Hughes, VP of Marketing at digital optimisation platform AB Tasty.
Influence: High-quality reviews are the single most influential factor in online purchase decisions, ranking above discounts, free shipping, ease of experience, and even brand name. Written testimonials rank first in usefulness, followed by star ratings and customer photos.
Practicality: Shipping visibility plays a significant role in satisfaction. Thirty-six percent of respondents say tracking improves their experience, while 19% say it is essential. In the US, 27.5% consider tracking non-negotiable. The top frustration globally is too many pop-ups, followed by slow-loading websites and difficulty finding products. These frustrations cut across all generations, though Gen Z is especially sensitive to shipping issues.
Hughes adds: “Our report also highlights that intrusive pop-ups are the number one frustration in online shopping, while personalised offers feel the most relevant to customers. Retail media works best when it feels embedded and useful rather than disruptive, for instance when a retailer lowers free-shipping thresholds, offers a time-limited discount at checkout, or makes personalised product recommendations based on a shopper’s past behaviour. In these cases, retail media works less like traditional advertising and more like a service layer, supporting faster, more confident purchase decisions without adding friction to the shopping experience.”
When asked what would make shopping feel more personal, 35% of consumers selected rewarding loyalty, far ahead of AI tools or gamification. Similarly, removing browsing frustrations ranked as the top desired improvement, while quizzes, virtual try-ons, and chatbots ranked near the bottom.
Gamification pop-ups illustrate this tension clearly: 42% of shoppers find them distracting and close them immediately, while only 21% enjoy engaging with them. AI tools show mixed adoption, with just 23% finding them helpful so far.
