New research from advertising technology company, and Retail MediaX panel sponsor, Epsilon has revealed that Grocery is the most improved brand category for personalising customer experiences.
According to a YouGov survey of over 2,000 UK consumers, 20% have noticed an overall improvement in brand efforts to personalise messages and interactions over the last two years. Grocery surpassed Technology, Fashion and Apparel, Beauty and Homeware.
The same percentage reported enhancements specifically in the grocery brand category, indicating that those who recognised improvements did so particularly with messages from grocers such as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
Elliott Clayton, managing director UK, Epsilon, said: “These improvements illustrate the contribution of first-party data-led strategy to a more positive consumer perception of advertising. Grocery has long been the poster child of retail media, with the frequency of purchases and vast customer bases foundational to a channel focused on smarter use of transactional data.
“Supermarkets are increasingly focused on making every shopper feel recognised and valued. Morrisons’ ‘My Points Boosters’ scheme is a perfect example, offering customers the chance to select their favourite brands from a personalised list. Similarly, Waitrose impresses with personalised vouchers that reflect individual shopping habits. These tailored approaches show a strong commitment to customer satisfaction.”
The report also highlighted a specific challenge related to retail media – that a campaign drives new revenue as opposed to being shown to people who are already going to buy an item. While the data suggests most adverts do reach the right shoppers, 17% of respondents reported seeing ads for products they were planning to purchase.
Epsilon stressed this is by no means an isolated challenge. Consumers still identify other more widespread issues with personalisation, the most prolific of which are irrelevant ads which 56% of consumers say they still scroll past.
Almost half of consumers identify a frequency issue with 47% reporting seeing the same ad too many times. More concerning are issues raised with the disruption caused by advertising with just over a third – 34% – saying ads pop up at the worst possible time.
Retail Media will be the focus of an executive briefing on 09 October 2024 in London’s Bishopgate.
This exclusive event gathers 40 like-minded retail leaders from across sectors, all looking to stay ahead of industry trends and analysis. Building on the momentum of our inaugural Retail MediaX event in June, this gathering offers a six-month update packed with fresh insights.
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