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How to Accelerate Your Retail Partnerships

May 31, 2023
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In today's dynamic retail landscape, shoppers are becoming increasingly promiscuous- only 38% show a preference for consistently shopping with the same grocery retailer (Customer Communication Group, September 2022). In the face of this, Retailers are challenged with establishing a strong connection with their consumers.

38% show a preference for consistently shopping with the same grocery retailer 

In this blog post, we will explore why they’re struggling to build this connection and how brands can help accelerate their retail partners' loyalty strategies - in-turn accelerating their own relationships with these retailers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

When it comes to building shopper loyalty among today’s retail shoppers, retailers are struggling because they do not:

  1. Create Instore and Online Shopping Experiences that are superior to their competitors
  2. Utilize Personalized Engagement Tactics
  3. Create a Seamless Cross-Channel Experience


How can brands partner with retailers to accelerate their loyalty strategies?

Create a unique interactive at-home product experience that helps set retailers apart from their competitors

The pandemic disrupted consumer dependence on brick and mortar grocery stores - ushering in the era of digital grocers and with it the importance of providing experiences that complement both in-store and online shopping.

39% percent of consumers are hybrid shoppers and now purchase their groceries through a mix of digital and physical channels

While convenience is a major advantage of online shopping, one crucial element is lacking: the ability to stumble upon new and exciting products. 

To help bridge the divide between online and offline shopping, brands can collaborate with retailers to establish a unique in-home experience that seamlessly blends both realms. One effective approach is partnering with companies like Sampler to make product samples accessible beyond the confines of physical stores and delivering them directly to targeted consumers. By bringing relevant product experiences straight to consumers' homes, brands can support retailers in differentiating themselves.

Help them develop a complete view of their shoppers inside and outside of their store so that communications can be tailored & targeted

Personalization is becoming increasingly important to maintaining consumer loyalty. Having a first-party data acquisition strategy is a key driver to providing the personalized experiences consumers demand- you can read more on that here.  In general, Retailers personalize their communication based on past purchases - to help them further tailor their communication, brands can help them to understand who their consumers are outside of their store.

One way to collect these insights to aid in personalization? Digital sampling. Through digital sampling programs, brands can collect robust first-party data and insights - with Sampler, brands can expect an average of 43 data points per consumer, ranging from household data to shopping habits and preferences, including what they’re  purchasing outside of the grocery store and what interests they have that are not currently being addressed by the retailer. 

This is information brands can share back to their retailer partners to help provide them with a view of their shoppers outside of their four walls and can in turn have implications for future retailer marketing initiatives, tailored communications and offers, and impact decisions around distribution and shelving.

Reach their audience across a range of channels

In addition to creating unique product discovery experiences and fueling personalized communication with their existing consumers, you can support your brand-retail relationship by helping to find and identify audiences who shop at their stores, and introduce them to new, potential consumers.

One way to do this is by way of product sampling. By integrating sampling across multiple channels, brands can help retailers expand their reach to new audiences. For example, Sampler allows brands to plug sampling into their existing media (think TikTok, SnapChat, Article placements, Brand CRM activities, and more) from one centralized location. This can help reach existing shoppers or serve as a powerful tool for introducing new audiences to your retail partners and further support by driving post-trial behaviors in-store or online. 

Takeaways

Building shopper loyalty requires retailers and brands to go beyond the conventional strategies of the past. By helping to create superior shopping experiences, employing personalized engagement tactics, and offering seamless cross-channel interactions, brands can support retailers in their aim to establish meaningful connections with their consumers. Through partnerships with innovative solution providers like Sampler, brands can accelerate their retail partnerships by helping to create a loyal customer base that will drive their business forward in today's competitive retail landscape.

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