How an electronics giant meets engineers where they are, with 44 million products in catalog
When engineers around the world are building the next breakthrough in AI, robotics, or consumer electronics, they’re likely using components from Mouser Electronics. Mouser is one of the world’s largest global distributors of electronic components, serving everyone from Fortune 500 engineers to weekend hobbyists. Their mission? “We meet the customer where they are,” says Mohammad Mahboob, Mouser’s Director of Search Platform, who has been leading the charge at Mouser for over five years.
With 44 million products in Mouser’s catalog, and serving customers in over 20 different languages across 62 different domains, finding the exact transistor, resistor, or semiconductor each engineer needs becomes a serious challenge. Keep reading or watch the video to learn more.
The scale challenge: When “everything electronics” really means everything
Many e-commerce sites might boast an abundant product catalog, but Mouser operates on a different scale entirely.
“We have probably one of the largest catalogs that’s out there on the electronics side, about 44 million products and counting,” Mohammad explains. “We primarily serve engineers. We also serve hobbyists, students, B2B, B2C. So we are all over the place. It’s basically one place for you to come and shop for anything electronics related.”
This isn’t just about volume – it’s about precision. When an engineer needs a specific capacitor for a circuit board, they can’t afford to wade through thousands of irrelevant results. Every component has exact specifications, compatibility requirements, and technical parameters that matter.
“Anything that anybody is building with a circuit, more than likely includes a Mouser part,” Mohammad notes. “Little bits and pieces: transistors, resistors, connectors, semiconductors, all these little things that go into a circuit board… Mouser sells.”
Biggest search challenge: Meeting engineers where they are (without overwhelming them)
When asked about the biggest search trend impacting business, Mohammad’s answer centers on Mouser’s core mission: “We meet the customer where they are.”
But here’s the challenge: Engineers shop differently than typical consumers. They’re technical, precise, and often know exactly what they want. That’s one of the reasons why hybrid search (that combines traditional keyword search with AI-powered semantic search) is so important, especially for B2B companies.
“Engineers who come to our website are used to entering the part number that they’re looking for,” Mohammad explains. “We want to make sure we show them that part, but also a secondary layer, a little bit broader, but not too broad. That’s the spectrum.”
The spectrum he’s referring to runs from ultra-specific (exact part numbers) to confusingly broad (searching for “capacitor” and getting thousands of results). The sweet spot? Helping engineers easily navigate solutions for their general need in addition to the specific component they require. Maybe offering complimentary parts to the exact match.
The 90-day priority: Bringing AI into the fold
If Mohammad had just 90 days and limited resources to improve Mouser’s search experience, his priority is clear: integrating AI and generative AI into their platform, but only if it actually improves the customer experience.
“Our top priority is to bring Gen AI into the fold and ensure that it is enhancing that experience, not for the sake of doing Gen AI,” Mohammad explains.
How does Mouser make sure they’re using AI effectively? By using feedback mechanisms to stay ahead of customer needs. “There’s a lot of feedback mechanisms that we have to utilize to ensure that we know where our customers want to go,” Mohammad notes.
Editor’s Note: This approach mirrors how leading companies use advanced search analytics to understand customer behavior and optimize experiences.
The AI reality check: Experience over everything
Mohammad brings a practical perspective to utilizing AI. When asked what in AI can deliver real value versus what’s just a gimmick, he went straight to understanding intent, a fundamental aspect of great search experiences:
“If you have a customer coming in with intent to purchase… you don’t want to get into where you are doing too much and now all of a sudden they are getting mixed signals.”
The balance Mohammad describes is crucial: How do you add AI-powered intelligence without overwhelming customers who already know what they want?
His solution involves careful spectrum management:
- Micro level: Exact part numbers (traditional search)
- Middle ground: Broader but guided searches (AI-enhanced)
- Macro level: General categories like “capacitor” (needs heavy AI curation)
“We can now curate your experience to what you are looking for without inundating you with lots and lots of things that are not relevant,” Mohammad explains. “Because the last thing we want is for you to say, I didn’t have the experience that I was looking for.”
The Mouser formula: What other B2B companies can learn
Mohammad’s approach at Mouser reveals several key principles that electronics distributors and B2B companies can apply:
- Know Your Customer’s Shopping Behavior: Engineers search differently than consumers. Understand and support those behavioral differences.
- Test Small, Scale Smart: Use geographic or domain-based testing to validate new features before full rollout.
- Spectrum Management: Create clear pathways from broad searches to specific products without overwhelming users.
- Value Over Hype: Implement AI where it solves real problems, not just because it’s trendy.
- Preserve What Works: Don’t disrupt successful customer workflows in the name of innovation.
- Cost-Conscious Innovation: Balance innovation investment with realistic ROI expectations.
Why this matters for your B2B business
Mouser’s story isn’t just about managing a massive product catalog… it’s about understanding your customers deeply enough to enhance their experience without disrupting their success patterns. Even if the industry is pressuring you to adopt the most advanced AI features. With 44 million products across 20+ languages and 62 domains, Mouser demonstrates the power of a balanced search strategy rooted in practicality and innovation.
Whether you’re dealing with technical customers who know exactly what they want, managing massive product catalogs, or trying to implement AI without alienating your existing user base, Mouser’s approach offers hands-on insights for turning search complexity into competitive advantage.
The key takeaway? Meet your customers where they are, not where you think they should be. And when you do innovate with AI, make sure it’s adding value to their journey, not just impressing them with flashy features.
Ready to transform your B2B search experience? Explore how Lucidworks can help with our B2B solutions, Commerce platform, and Analytics Studio.
About Mohammad Mahboob: Director of Search Platform at Mouser Electronics, with five and a half years at the company. Mohammad also oversees robotic process automation, power platform solutions, and global QA (both manual and automation). He leads search strategy for one of the world’s largest distributors of electronic components.
About Mouser Electronics: One of the world’s largest global distributors of electronic components, serving engineers, hobbyists, students, and businesses across B2B and B2C markets. Mouser maintains a catalog of 44+ million products across 62 domains in 22+ languages, with customer service offices worldwide.