H&M has enlisted agentic CX solution provider, Voyado, to replace traditional search with intent-based discovery across its ecommerce platform in 60+ markets globally.

H&M sought to overhaul its on-site search capabilities, recognising that its existing keyword search function couldn’t deliver the context-led discovery experiences customers now expect, leaving shoppers unable to quickly and easily find items that matched their specific needs – a problem exacerbated by H&M’s sizable number of SKUs.

Working with Voyado, the retailer moved from basic keyword matching to intent-led discovery, building a model that reads richer sets of real-world signals simultaneously – from purchase behaviour to add-to-bag actions, stock availability and product newness.

“Search is a clear signal of what customers actually want. When a customer searches, they’re not browsing – they’re telling you,” said Erica Sandelin Ekelund, CEO at Voyado. “And many retailers are throwing that signal away.”

“As our business grew, we needed a more intelligent approach to search, ranking, and discovery,” Lars Gezelius, Acting Global Head of Digital at H&M, explained.

By constructing a clearer picture of individual customer needs and the motivations behind them, H&M can now serve search results based on what customers want, rather than just simply returning matched keywords.

This has led to customer search exits dropping -30%, helping more customers browse, explore and buy. It has also reduced what it refers to as ‘soft exits’ – where customers drift away due to friction rather than choice – by -80%.

“H&M recognised the value and used it to rebuild their customer experience from the ground up – and the numbers confirm they were right. The most successful retailers won’t be those with the most extensive catalogues. They’ll be the ones who understand their customers and what they actually came for,” Sandelin Ekelund added.