Cartology has developed a Customer Playbook to present marketers with a guide to post-pandemic customer behaviour to help them harness the full potential of retail media.
It includes findings from research conducted in partnership with The Lab on customer behaviour and attitudes, combined with Woolworths' own first party data.
More than three quarters of Australians changed the way they shop during the pandemic, with a surge in online shopping, balanced by a renewed appreciation for the in-store experience, according to the research.
The pace of digital growth is rapid with Woolworths reporting online sales growth of 53% in the September quarter.
However, Cartology's research makes clear that shopping habits can no longer be viewed as binary, with 30% of all customers shopping both online and in-store at least once a month.
Cartology works with brands to provide customers with inspiration and highly relevant offers to enhance their shopping experience, and its new playbook is designed to ensure their changing needs remain front and centre with marketers.
Cartology Head of Marketing and Insights Jodie Koning: “At the same time that we’re seeing a long term shift in customer behaviour, Australia’s retail media industry is also evolving, with more ways than ever before to speak directly to customers.
“This makes it the perfect time to present an up-to-date view of the landscape to help brands embrace the potential that retail media offers to engage with different customers at different stages of their shopping journey.
“This research is grounded in the customer for good reason: customer centricity is key. It’s critical for marketers to go deep to really understand customers and their changed shopping habits.
“The shopping journey is no longer linear, but circuitous, with multiple touchpoints - from apps to in-store demonstrations. Customers expect brands to be visible across the evolved omnichannel path to purchase in new and unexpected ways.”
Cartology’s research reveals 38%of shoppers actively want to hear from and discover new brands.
The Lab Managing Director, Andrew Therkelsen: “Many of our clients in the FMCG space are asking about the new and evolved omnichannel journey, including how and where brands can show up to maximise salience and conversion.
“This playbook is designed to help FMCG marketers better understand this evolved customer journey and how their brands can win in this new landscape.”
Cartology’s multidisciplinary research engaged 1,000 main and joint grocery buyers in a deep dive into shopping behaviour.
These insights were combined with Woolworths’ first party data to validate the findings and establish the correlation between what customers said, and what they did.
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