AI makes it possible to replace search engines with conversational interfaces capable of interpreting the user's true intent and reducing cart abandonment in e-commerce.

If there’s one thing that defines today’s digital consumer, it’s that they have little patience. Anyone who visits an online store isn’t willing to waste time with complicated interfaces or products that don’t meet their needs. They’re looking for a solution to a specific need, and if they don’t find it quickly, they’re very likely to abandon their purchase.

Berta Marquina, Regional Marketing Manager for Spain at Doofinder, the AI Search & Discovery platform for e-commerce, puts numbers to this problem: "68% of shoppers are dissatisfied with the search experience on online stores. Most leave without trying again. The friction doesn’t occur at the price or checkout stage, but earlier—that is, during the search and discovery phase."

Therefore, it is not advisable to focus all conversion efforts on the final step of the checkout process; instead, you should also focus on the “silent friction” users experience before reaching the payment stage. The impact of improvements in this area is very positive: “Higher conversion rates, reduced cart abandonment, and better opportunities for cross-selling and upselling. (…) Ultimately, it’s not just about selling more, but about helping the customer make a decision,” as Marquina points out.

 

The new consumer: more demanding, impatient, and well-informed

"Today's consumers are much more demanding, impatient, and well-informed than they were a few years ago. They no longer spend minutes browsing for products; they expect to find exactly what they need in a matter of seconds," explains Berta Marquina. This expectation is forcing a redefinition of the rules of internal discovery in e-commerce.

In this regard, the Doofinder spokesperson explains that "we've moved from very specific searches to much more natural interactions. Users no longer type 'black running shoes'; instead, they express needs such as 'I need comfortable shoes for working out three times a week.' This means that online stores must understand the intent behind the search, not just the words used."

As a result, the decision-making process has become highly dynamic; users research and compare products across multiple channels before making a purchase, with the help of artificial intelligence tools. This is part of a broader transformation in online shopping behavior, as younger consumers are redefining the digital funnel. And it requires e-commerce to adapt accordingly.

 

From menus and categories to conversation

To improve user satisfaction, we need to move away from drop-down menus and rigid categories, which shift the burden of searching and sorting onto the customer. The alternative is conversational e-commerce, which replaces traditional search with an adaptive dialogue that facilitates decision-making.

As a result, online searching is evolving into a conversation between the user and the store. This is a natural evolution driven by users’ growing familiarity with artificial intelligence, which is raising expectations. “Users have grown accustomed to getting immediate answers through conversations and are beginning to expect that same experience when shopping online,” Marquina explains.

The mechanism that makes this possible is semantic understanding, a technology capable of deciphering the intentions that users express in more or less indirect ways. To do this, artificial intelligence provides the necessary context for the process. “Traditionally, search engines understood keywords. Today, thanks to AI models, it is possible to understand the meaning of a query, identify implicit needs, and detect nuances that previously went unnoticed,” argues Marquina.

This analytical capability translates user queries into purchase suggestions tailored to their needs, allowing the system to act as a dynamic interpreter of the catalog. "For example, when a user asks, 'I want a gift for someone who works from home,' they aren't looking for a specific product. They are expressing a need. AI can interpret that intent and translate it into relevant recommendations, reducing friction and facilitating the purchase decision," he adds.

 

Smart assistants and useful data for e-commerce

This technology is put into practice through assistance systems capable of guiding customers through their entire journey on the sales platform. These are not simply chat-style menus of options, but rather AI agents within the online store that maintain the context of the session and adapt to the user’s input in real time.

This is the context for AI Assistant, which is working to transform traditional search into a personalized, guided experience. Users can have a natural conversation with the store, ask questions, request recommendations, or ask for product comparisons.

According to Marquina, "the assistant understands the context of the conversation and guides the customer toward the best option based on their needs. The experience is much closer to the service they would receive in a physical store, but with the speed, availability, and scalability that the digital environment offers."

Furthermore, every conversation leaves a trail of information that companies can turn into business intelligence to identify what barriers are holding customers back from making a purchase at the last minute, what information users are missing from product pages, or which categories generate interest without leading to a sale. This helps companies understand their actual demand and tailor their offerings based on concrete data.

 

AI in e-commerce: A Key Trend at eShow 2026

Online stores that implement these solutions improve conversion rates and average order value by reducing cart abandonment and buyer indecision. However, adopting conversational e-commerce requires defining clear business objectives and having access to the right data. "The right question isn’t ‘how do I incorporate AI?’ but ‘what business problem do I want to solve?’ (...) It’s also essential to work with quality data and constantly measure the impact. AI is an extraordinary tool, but its value depends on how it’s integrated into the company’s overall strategy," concludes Berta Marquina of Doofinder.

The role of artificial intelligence in the evolution of digital consumption in the coming years will be very prominent in eShow 2026, which will take place at IFEMA Madrid on November 4 and 5 as part of Tech Show 2026. More than 150 exhibitors, 180 speakers, and nearly 10,000 professionals are expected to attend, where they will discuss how AI is redefining e-commerce and the strategies that will be key to competing in this new era.