Why are established retailers layering AI into the browsing experience rather than just the search box? Because most shoppers don’t search — they browse, and the store that helps them while they explore captures sales the search bar never sees. Marks & Spencer, the British retail institution, built exactly that into its site.
The result: M&S’s AI-powered ‘Style Tips’ browsing tool offers personalized suggestions while customers explore categories, contributing to Fashion & Home sales growing 3.5% to £4.2 billion.
The browse is where most shoppers actually are#
Search captures shoppers who already know what they want. But a large majority of any store’s traffic is browsing — exploring categories, looking for inspiration, not yet committed to a specific item. For most retailers, that browse session is passive: the shopper looks and leaves, with no help bridging from interest to purchase.
M&S addressed this with Style Tips, an AI tool that offers personalized suggestions in context as the shopper explores. Looking at a blouse? Here’s what completes the outfit. Browsing home goods? Here’s what coordinates. The suggestions meet the shopper where they already are — mid-browse — and nudge exploration toward a basket. That in-context help contributed to Fashion & Home sales rising 3.5% to £4.2 billion.
How browse AI works#
Browse AI personalizes the exploration experience for shoppers who haven’t searched. It reads what the shopper is currently viewing and their behavior, then surfaces relevant, personalized suggestions alongside the browse.
Three mechanics drive the result. The tool offers contextual suggestions, tied to whatever the shopper is exploring right now rather than generic popular items. It personalizes to the individual, weighting tips by taste and behavior so they feel chosen. And it inspires rather than interrupts — styling ideas and complementary pieces that deepen the browse instead of derailing it.
Why in-context suggestions lift sales#
A 3.5% lift across a £4.2 billion category is enormous in absolute terms, and it comes from a subtle change: helping shoppers while they browse instead of only when they search. Styling suggestions do two things at once — they inspire shoppers toward items they hadn’t considered, and they assemble complete looks that grow basket size. Crucially, they feel like a stylist’s help, not a sales push, which is why shoppers engage rather than tune out.
The strategic point is that the browse session is the largest untapped surface in most stores. Search is already monetized; browsing usually isn’t. Turning the browse into a guided, personalized experience converts demand that would otherwise walk away.
What this means for your store#
You don’t need M&S’s scale to capture this — any store with browsing traffic can:
- Offer contextual, personalized suggestions as shoppers explore, not just on the search results page.
- Frame suggestions as inspiration and styling — complete-the-look ideas — to grow baskets without pressure.
- Treat the browse as a monetizable surface, because that’s where most of your traffic already is.
Most stores help shoppers only when asked. The ones that win help while shoppers browse.
Bring browse AI to your store with CartAmplify#
CartAmplify brings the same kind of in-context, personalized browsing assistance that powers M&S Style Tips to any store — Shopify, dropshipping, or marketplace. Suggestions that inspire shoppers and grow baskets while they explore.
Related reading#
- How M&S Engaged 450K Shoppers with AI Style Discovery
- How Amazon’s Browse Recommendations Drive Cross-Sell
Figures cited from publicly reported M&S results. Results vary by catalog, traffic, and implementation.
