Target researchers report conversion gain from hybrid product search

Target researchers report that a product search system combining keyword and meaning-based matching raised order conversion by 0.98% compared with keyword-only search. The system blends results from both methods while controlling which products appear in the final list. In online A/B tests, it also raised click-through rate by 0.97% and demand per visitor by 1.10%, while roughly halving searches that returned no results. The researchers say the system serves millions of Target shoppers daily. The results are reported in a preprint by the team that built it.