The Evolution of Search: What It Means for Retailers in 2025
The way consumers find and research products online is fundamentally changing. Once dominated by traditional search engines and retail websites, the online product discovery journey has evolved into a complex, multi-platform process influenced by social media, artificial intelligence (AI) and new search technologies.
This shift is reshaping consumer behavior and forcing brands to re-evaluate their digital strategies. For retailers, this shift presents both an opportunity and a new layer of complexity: keeping inventory visible, available and accurately represented wherever shoppers are looking.
“Scrolling through social media is entertainment,” explains Georgia Leybourne, chief marketing officer, Linnworks. “It’s part of who we are in today’s modern world. Adhoc and leisure shopping takes place on a whim on social media. More often than not, the scroller doesn’t have an intention, just a thirst they are looking to quench.”
This is one of the main reasons why influencers are so successful. Users are scrolling through a particular influencer’s feed, genuinely enjoying their content, until they come across a promoted item. If the user trusts the influencer enough, it encourages them to purchase the promoted item.
The New Shopping Experience
This shift in the way consumers shop is completely changing up what they look for in a shopping experience. According to Leybourne, today’s consumers are looking for three things in their experiences:
- Pace: Consumers are impatient – speed is of the essence with today’s consumer. They know we are now capable of fast delivery, and it has become a prerequisite. Yet, they don’t want to pay for speed.
- Value: Price is of concern to today’s shopper due to our economic environment. It’s not just about the money, it’s also about quality. They want and expect appropriate quality for the cost of their item, which is, of course, subjective and in the eye of the beholder.
- Surety: They want to ‘know’ what, when, where and how. If changes occur, they want to know as soon as possible so they can prepare. No longer are uncommunicated delays, changes or damage acceptable. Advance warning and transparency is the norm.
“Staying in the know is a huge part of a retailer’s remit in today’s modern shopping era,” Leybourne advises. “They need to know where to position their wares, which marketplaces, which social channels and which events. Then, they need to be in a position to fulfill every which way the consumer demands.”
Retailers’ supply chains also need to be efficient from source to supply with appropriate enterprise-wide visibility, according to Leybourne.
“On top of all of this, the retailer needs to promote their products in alignment with the channel they are selling on and consider carefully the form of that promotion,” she says. “Short-form consumable content that tells a story is a must have.”
The Impact on Inventory
While these fragmented search behaviors create an opportunity for brands to re-evaluate their marketing, it also creates pressure to maintain real-time inventory visibility across multiple channels.
“Regardless of search behaviors, inventory needs to be held centrally for multi-channel deployment with a singular view in real-time,” Leybourne says. “Socially motivated search, however, if aligned with a trend, can cause a run on particular inventory items which can subsequently impact availability, delivery options and price.”
Search behaviors can impact inventory demand, both positively and negatively. But logistically, Leybourne says retailers should be fine.
The Future of Search
AI is at the heart of the new search landscape. AI algorithms analyze a user’s behavior, interests and past purchases to deliver highly personalized product recommendations.
This intent-driven approach is replacing the old keyword-matching model, creating a more seamless and intuitive shopping experience. From AI chatbots that act as personal shopping assistants to algorithms that understand natural language queries, technology is moving toward a future where online discovery is less about sifting through results and more about a guided, hyper-personalized journey.
“As new digital channels and shopping formats continue to emerge, consumers will follow the trends and use all the options available,” Leybourne says. “AI will continue to play a key role in evolving search trends, as will the proliferation of retail media options.”
