Online marketplace shoppers are still more likely to being their purchase journey at a marketplace than any other channel, but the extent to which that’s the case appears to have lessened from last year as the journey becomes more fragmented, according to a report from ChannelEngine.

According to the survey of 4,500 online marketplace shoppers across the US, UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, 37% share tend to go first to online marketplaces when looking to purchase a product online, while 23% turn to search engines first, 11% to brand websites, and 9% to social media.

This guide reveals how leading retailers are boosting conversions, basket size, and customer satisfaction with one of the most overlooked levers in ecommerce: delivery. Read the “Win at Checkout” guide now to learn how, before the package even leaves the warehouse, smart delivery options at checkout can:

Reduce abandonment

Increase conversion

Create a stronger customer experience

With new networks dividing attention and unpredictable algorithm shifts impacting who sees what where, marketing teams struggle to reach and engage their target audience on social media. Marketers need deeper consumer insights to make the best use of their time and talent. Without them, brands risk over-investing in the wrong places with the wrong content, while leaving room for competitors to swoop in.

Based on insights from 4,500 marketplace shoppers across the US, UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, this report reveals how trust, value, and transparency are now shaping the marketplace shopping experience.

Shopping journeys are broader, not linear

Shoppers no longer move from one channel to one checkout. They discover on marketplaces, validate on social platforms, compare across borders, and increasingly use AI to reduce effort. This report connects those touchpoints into a single, end-to-end view of how decisions are actually made.

Microsoft published a playbook early this month to help retailers increase visibility in AI search, browsers, and assistants. “A guide to AEO and GEO” ( PDF) from the heads of Microsoft Shopping and Copilot, and Microsoft Advertising, includes and confirms actionable tips worth a read.

GEO vs. AEO

The rise of AI platforms has created a proliferation of ill-defined acronyms. The guide attempts to clarify two of them:

AI agent-based shopping could increase e-commerce penetration and ultimately “level the playing field” for brands, Harley Finkelstein told Retail Brew. Retail is entering its agentic era. At least that’s what Shopify President Harley Finkelstein told Retail Brew at NRF. He’s certainly not alone in that thinking: Agentic commerce was by far the show’s buzziest term, especially if you attended sessions featuring Google, Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Wayfair, The Home Depot, Urban Outfitters…the list goes on.

With questions about tariffs and the economic outlook persisting, brands are prioritizing a strong start to the year. The wrong plan can set them back and allow their competitors to get ahead, so it’s imperative that they find the right marketing channels to meet their goals. The best approach to creating a 2026 roadmap is to look at the trends that shaped 2025 spending and adjust accordingly. 

This survey report explores the AI confidence gap occurring across the retail industry and how retailers can move from AI adoption to activation. Although many retail leaders have already invested in AI, most have yet to yield meaningful results. Without connecting infrastructure, intelligence, and action so that brands can respond to intent with personalization in real time, retailers miss the opportunity to make the most of their AI investments.