By Aynsley Peet, Head of Growth at The Pixel

The way consumers discover and evaluate products continues to evolve, but one thing remains remarkably consistent: trust drives purchases.

Recent consumer research from The Pixel’s latest product discovery survey reveals that while new technologies such as AI-powered shopping assistants are beginning to emerge, traditional discovery channels and authentic customer feedback still play the most influential role in buying decisions.

Search Still Dominates Product Discovery

When consumers begin researching products, search engines remain the primary starting point, with 67% of shoppers using them to discover products. Online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, and Vinted follow at 44%, while 42% go directly to a brand’s website or app.

Social media platforms influence almost a quarter (24%) of consumers, demonstrating the growing role of content-driven discovery. However, despite significant industry attention around AI, only 10% currently use Agentic AI tools or GPTs to help find products, suggesting that widespread adoption remains in its early stages.

Reviews Are Second Only to Price

When it comes to making a purchase decision, price remains the most important factor, influencing 79% of consumers.

However, reviews rank second at 60%, ahead of product descriptions (52%), product photography (43%), delivery times (37%), returns information (34%), and even brand reputation (33%).

This highlights a critical reality for retailers: consumers increasingly trust other customers more than brand messaging.

The importance of reviews becomes even clearer when examining purchase behaviour. More than three-quarters of shoppers (76%) describe reviews as either “very important” or “important” when deciding what to buy.

Customers Want Authentic Experiences

Not all reviews carry equal weight.

Written customer reviews are by far the most trusted format, relied upon by 58% of consumers. Star ratings alone and photo or video reviews each account for 15%, while expert or influencer reviews influence only 3% of shoppers.

The findings suggest that consumers value detailed, authentic experiences that help them understand how a product performs in real-world situations.

What Frustrates Online Shoppers?

Researching products online is not always straightforward.

The biggest frustration reported by consumers is unclear pricing or hidden costs (21%), followed by too many choices (18%). Confusing product information and difficulty comparing products both scored 16%, while fake or unhelpful reviews concerned 12% of respondents.

These findings highlight a growing challenge for ecommerce brands: helping customers make confident decisions quickly and transparently.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Consumers are increasingly impatient with poor online experiences.

Nearly six in ten shoppers (59%) would leave a product page immediately if it contained too many pop-ups. Slow loading pages (47%) and websites that do not feel trustworthy (46%) were also major deterrents.

Other reasons for abandonment include poor imagery (38%), high delivery costs (37%), pricing that appears suspiciously high or low (37%), lack of reviews (35%), confusing navigation (31%), and insufficient product information (25%).

The message is clear: every element of the product page contributes to trust and conversion.

The Future of Product Discovery

While AI-powered discovery tools are beginning to enter the market, consumers continue to rely heavily on search engines, marketplaces, and brand websites when researching products.

More importantly, they rely on other customers.

For retailers, the opportunity lies in creating product experiences that prioritise transparency, authenticity, and trust. Clear pricing, comprehensive product information, fast-loading pages, and high-quality customer reviews are no longer competitive advantages; they are fundamental expectations.

As product discovery evolves, the brands that make decision-making easier for customers will be the ones that win.

Please contact [email protected] if you would like to receive a full copy of the product discovery survey across UX, paid search, social commerce and AI.

Published 11/06/2026