My users don't behave the same way across a session - sometimes they're in research mode, sometimes just browsing. Can a recommender actually handle that, or does it just pick one mode and stick with it?
A single recommendation scenario will not cover both modes well. Running multiple recommendation scenarios in parallel - one optimized for discovery, one for purchase intent - allows different parts of the interface to serve different user states simultaneously. Rather than attempting to detect which mode a user is in and switching between them, the standard approach is to design distinct scenarios for each context and place them in the appropriate locations. This separates the optimization objectives so neither goal is compromised by the other.