Retailers are entering a new era of discovery. As AI-powered search reshapes how consumers find products, retailers are realizing they have a significant blind spot: anonymous customers.
For years, the retail industry has optimized around known customers. Loyalty programs, CRM systems, personalized emails and app experiences are all built on the assumption that the most valuable shoppers are the ones who log in, return regularly and leave a trail of behavioral data behind them.
But today, the majority of retail traffic is anonymous. Most shoppers land directly on product detail pages from AI search results, price comparison sites, marketplaces or social media platforms. These shoppers arrive without logging in, without cookies that tell a reliable story and often without any prior relationship with the brand. The context behind their buying journey can be hard to decipher: they jump between tabs, browse across devices and change their intent multiple times in a single session.
We know customers convert at much higher rates when the shopping experience is personalized: tactics like tailored offers can increase conversion and cross-sell rates by 30%-40%. But how can retailers personalize the journey for a customer they know nothing about?
The Revenue Opportunity in Anonymous Customers
Retailers have a tendency to treat anonymous users as lower value. They are harder to track, harder to personalize for and harder to re-engage if they leave. But in many categories, these shoppers represent the majority of revenue opportunity. They are often high-intent, time-poor and comparison-driven. They are not just aimlessly browsing, they’re setting out to make a purchase, and often using AI search or other tools to help them decide on a product or brand
Instead of starting on a homepage, shoppers now arrive mid-funnel with a shortlist already in mind. The retailer’s job is no longer to educate from scratch, but to remove friction quickly enough to get them all the way to checkout. When an anonymous user leaves your website empty-handed, it is rarely because they are not interested, but because something has stopped them from making a purchase.
The New Signals Hiding in Plain Sight
The good news is that anonymous does not mean invisible. While retailers may lack historical data such as past purchases or lifetime value, they have access to something arguably more impactful: real-time behavioral signals.
Every time a shopper clicks, filters or returns to the ‘FAQs’ page gives retailers a piece of the jigsaw to understand a shopper’s intent. A shopper who repeatedly checks delivery dates might be anxious about whether an item will arrive in time for a birthday or event. A customer who repeatedly sorts products by lowest price or sets a price filter is probably signaling that budget is the key factor in their decision. A shopper who switches between size guides and return policies may be worried about fit and hassle. These are all important context clues.
The challenge is that many retail experiences are static. Retailers ask the same questions, show the same content and enforce the same checkout flow, regardless of what the shopper is telling them in real time. In doing so, retailers miss the opportunity to respond to intent when it matters most.
Removing Checkout Blockers
Retail has historically equated personalization with recommendations. But for anonymous users, retailers should avoid getting hung up on recommending the perfect product and instead focus on removing checkout blockers.
If it looks like delivery speed is the customer’s main concern, retailers can surface next-day or click-and-collect options earlier. If price seems to be the main blocker, retailers can flag promotions, bundles or offer up a one-time incentive that reduces hesitation. If confidence is the issue, the retailer can highlight reviews, guarantees or easy returns.
When retailers respond to real-time intent rather than static segments, the experience becomes relevant and tailored.
Why this Matters Now
Economic pressure has made shoppers more deliberate. Acquisition costs remain high, while margins are under strain. At the same time, privacy changes, the decline of third-party cookies and the rise of AI search all make up a perfect storm that means the age of ‘easy tracking’ is over. Waiting for users to identify themselves is no longer a viable strategy.
But at the same time, customers’ expectations of retailers haven’t changed: 71% of customers still expect brands to offer personalized experiences throughout the buying journey — and 61% say they feel treated ‘like a number’ if the experience isn’t tailored to them.
To meet customer expectations in the face of growing pressure, retailers should stop focusing on who the customer is, and start thinking about the intent behind their visit.
Seeing the Majority Clearly
As AI search continues to establish itself as the norm, retailers who continue to design primarily for known customers will find themselves optimizing for the minority while losing the majority. By paying attention to real-time behavior and responding thoughtfully, retailers can win over not just the loyal, logged-in customers but the ones who they know nothing about.
This shift requires investment, not just in technology but in organizational thinking. Teams need to collaborate across merchandising, UX, logistics and pricing to act on behavioral insight in real time. This process will be harder than building another loyalty tier, but it’ll have a far greater impact.
Alix de Sagazan is CEO and Co-founder of AB Tasty, a leading experimentation and personalization platform that helps brands deliver high-impact digital experiences. An entrepreneur with a background in business and technology, She launched AB Tasty in 2011 alongside co-founder Rémi Aubert to empower marketing, product and growth teams with data-driven insights. Under her leadership, the company has grown into a global organization with 11 offices around the world, serving thousands of clients across retail, ecommerce, and digital services.
