“Irrelevance, maybe 10 years ago, was neutral. It’s now damaging: consumers’ expectations have risen… so that moment when you’re given an irrelevant offer at the checkout has become the online equivalent of a shop assistant getting in your way,” says Marc Allsop, head of EMEA at Rokt.
And the numbers back it up: 62% of shoppers say they’ll abandon their cart altogether if faced with an irrelevant offer.
Speaking alongside Lucy Whitear, performance marketing manager at Tails.com, Allsop underlines that one corner of e-commerce consistently delivers in today’s attention economy: the online checkout. And that relevancy is key to tapping into that high voltage consumer moment.
The session brought e-commerce insights to life in a fast-paced, interactive game where panelist Whitear went head-to-head with the audience, guessing higher or lower answers based on Rokt and Harris Poll research into online shopping.
And it’s worth listening to what unwraps relevance there: for 73% of consumers, that moment when they pay for and get hold of their goods is the happiest place on the internet – beating scrolling socials or streaming TV.
As Allsop explains, this is the ‘Transaction Moment’ where a purchase isn’t just an exchange of goods and cash – it’s an emotional peak.
“The Transaction Moment isn’t just a dopamine hit,” says Whitear: “It reflects the journey customers take to get there. For Tails.com, that purchase shows care: choosing the right food is an act of love for their dog.”
Millennials and Gen Z are driving much of this excitement. Thirty somethings, in particular, score 10 points above average when it comes to looking forward to online shopping. For younger audiences, the curation, convenience and control of digital far outweigh the friction of physical retail.
Whitear emphasizes how important the seamlessness of the experience is to this generation in particular: “Gen Z and Gen Alpha expect everything online. The old frictions – talking to someone at checkout or waiting – are gone. They decide in the moment, even while watching TV, ‘this is what I’ll buy now.’”
And, in this environment, personalization and contextual relevance are now table stakes. It underlines why being truly data-led is essential: “Making sure it’s brand safe, relevant, and just following the data” is key, says Whitear: “Just because we think that’s where people are feeling this joy, it doesn’t mean they necessarily want to purchase from you.”
The online checkout is no longer just the end of the journey. It’s the most emotionally charged, high-stakes moment in retail – and the brands that win here aren’t just converting sales, they’re creating loyal, repeat customers.
Watch the full video from the event now.
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Rokt is the global leader in ecommerce, unlocking real-time relevance in the moment that matters most - The Transaction Moment. Rokt’s AI Brain and Ecommerce Network...