Retailers Recalibrating Marketing Efforts as Shoppers Return to Stores

A new survey of retail leaders in grocery and other channels reveals a shift back to in-store marketing as shoppers return to brick-and-mortar locations. At the same time, recognizing the benefits and gains of online shopping during the pandemic, retailers report that they are also allocating resources to e-commerce and brand awareness.

The survey of 100 North American retailers in the CPG sector was conducted for location-powered advertising and analytics firm Blis by the WBR research company. According to the research, 36% of respondents said they will move their budgets to in-store marketing efforts, followed by e-commerce at 31% and brand awareness at 25%.

The shuffling and split of marketing dollars reflect the many prongs of shopper outreach in today’s re-shaped marketplace. Blis’ survey also found that 44% of respondents expect demand for the buy-online pick up in store model to grow and 54% of retailers will be working to create dedicated spaces for pickup and home delivery. When assessing specific tactics that retailers have already adopted to better engage with consumers, “click to cart” shopping features (60%), contactless payment technology (58%) and location-based advertising for relevant offers (56%) were cited as the most popular.

“It’s promising to see that as we emerge from the pandemic, retailers are pumping budgets back in-store,” said Gil Larsen, managing director of Blis U.S. “Ultimately, the next generation of retail shoppers is demanding an omnichannel experience that provides the same value and convenience regardless of which channels they use. And they expect retailers to accommodate their needs regardless of how they engage. Retailers who intend to capitalize on these omnichannel shopping habits must align their marketing strategies to build better experiences for these types of customers.”

Blis is headquartered in London with regional offices throughout Europe, the United States, Asia, Middle East and the Pacific.