E-commerce shoppers use emojis to express their moods, intentions, and the subcultures they belong to in order to discover their favorite products.
Fast Simon, an AI-powered e-commerce shopping optimization platform, published an analysis conducted on millions of e-commerce search queries. According to this, the use of emojis is rapidly increasing among apparel, footwear, and accessory shoppers. The data reveals a trend away from direct product keywords toward more nuanced, lifestyle-driven intent.
Emoji Searches Grew by 40% in Q1 2026
According to the analysis, emoji searches grew by 42 percent in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, they increased by 40 percent. In 2025, standard apparel icons stood out among the top 10 most searched emojis. Among these emojis, the sneaker emoji, the high-heeled shoe emoji, and the dress emoji ranked at the top. In 2026, icons reflecting beauty intent, such as the kiss emoji, and performance-related symbols, such as the boxing glove emoji, ranked among the top searches.
“For Retailers, the Issue Is No Longer Just About Indexing Keywords”
Fast Simon CEO Zohar Gilad said, “Shoppers are moving away from the rigid vocabulary of traditional search toward a more fluid, visual shorthand. For retailers, the issue is no longer just about indexing keywords. It is about using AI to interpret the emotional and contextual intent behind a single icon or a string of emojis.”
Shoppers Combine Emojis and Keywords in a Single Search
According to Fast Simon’s findings, emojis are used to share mood, urgency, and specific subcultures. “Hybrid” searches that combine emojis with specific keywords have become a rising trend. Shoppers use this technique both to narrow down results and to match visual inspiration with technical features.
Examples of high-performing emoji combination usage are as follows:
• The use of currency symbols together with fashion icons.
• The use of color adjectives together with the jeans emoji.
• Pairing the wedding ring emoji with the word “wedding”; pairing the bathtub emoji with the word “room.”
According to the analysis results, high-intent shoppers use emojis to find products more quickly. Low-intent shoppers, on the other hand, browse with emojis to discover a “vibe.” In order to maintain high conversion rates, brands need search engines that can process non-textual data such as emojis and accurately match these emojis with relevant product catalogs.
Fast Simon is redefining e-commerce product discovery by combining AI with merchant insight to inspire shoppers. Merchandising, personalization, search, and AI assistants work together, adapting to every shopper interaction and delivering sustained increases in conversion, average order value, and revenue.