Retail marketing refers to the strategies used by retailers, brands and points of sale to attract customers to their stores and encourage purchases. It's a discipline encompassing many techniques, and subject to profound upheavals linked to the evolution of digital.
Sidely invites you to take a look at this concept, to learn more about the issues, the trends and, above all, the best practices.
We'll start by browsing the definition and framework of retail marketing. To understand the impact of technologies in this field, we'll look at an emblematic case of digital transformation: that of the Carrefour group.
Finally, for brands that want to initiate a transformation or upgrade, we offer a list of 10 retail marketing best practices, along with a series of key indicators to measure the resulting business performance.
But before we talk marketing, let's start by reminding ourselves what we mean by "retail".
Retail refers to all activities related to the sale of products or services directly to end consumers, in small quantities, generally for personal or domestic use.
The term is used to designate physical sales outlets such as stores or supermarkets, but also e-commerce or marketplaces. The retailer is therefore the final link in the distribution chain, and its customers are the end consumers.
We also use the terms retail or retail distribution. Based on sales in small quantities, retail is the opposite of trade, i.e. wholesale (BtoB or BtoB).
Now that we've set the scene, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of marketing!
Retail marketing refers to all the marketing strategies and techniques used by retailers and points of sale to attract customers, maximize their purchases and build loyalty.
This concept encompasses several aspects such as :
A schematic way of representing these challenges is to use the 4Rs of retail marketing:
🎯 The overall aim of retail marketing is to transform the shopping experience into a pleasant and efficient one, while increasing sales and consumer satisfaction.
Last but not least, the advent of the web and the smartphone have fostered the emergence of web to store, a set of techniques for bringing customers into physical points of sale through digital marketing. As we shall now see, digital has become an indispensable part of any retail marketing strategy.
It would be naive to reduce retail to physical distribution. In fact, ecommerce is taking on a significant role in the lives of the French (around 10% of retail sales in 2024). What's more, store activity is largely correlated with the web marketing of retailers and brands.
Carrefour is setting out its digital retail ambitions, highlighting its "data-centric" and "digital first" approach, i.e. the transformation of traditional retail operations through digital. The tone is set.
Like the French supermarket giant, many retailers are developing omnichannel commerce, in an attempt to bring physical and digital commerce together. Click and collect is an emblematic example of the digitalization of the retail sector.
Customer knowledge is at the heart of these strategies, with the major challenge being to make the most of the data stored by the various web applications, PoS software at points of sale, or loyalty cards, an area in which Carrefour is also showing strong ambitions for 2025, with a new loyalty card operating across its entire network.
Carrefour is the figurehead of retail digitalization, with two other notable achievements to its credit:
But not everyone is Carrefour, and you may be looking for more traditional techniques to set up - or consolidate - your retail marketing.
Sidely has put together a list of best practices to boost your point-of-sale marketing!
Here are 10 retail marketing best practices to maximize your POS performance and build customer loyalty:
Ensure continuity between online and in-store experiences. Offer functionalities such as click-and-collect, mobile payment or real-time stock consultation.
Analyze purchasing behavior to personalize your offers. Use a CRM to collect and segment data, enabling you to propose targeted and adapted promotions.
Look after the layout of the sales outlet: group complementary products together, use attractive colors and lighting, and highlight new products or promotions in strategic places. Optimizing the customer journey helps boost the average basket by encouraging impulse purchases. It's also important to build an assortment that's consistent with the outlet's clientele and catchment area.
💡Discover our thematic resources :
Create promotional campaigns that meet the expectations of your target segments. For example, discounts on seasonal products or promotions linked to local events.
⚠️ However, avoid the trap of perpetual promotion, which damages brand image and seasonal peaks;
CTA White paper promotion to add
Set up simple, engaging loyalty programs. Offer clear benefits, such as discounts or exclusive access for regular customers.
Your employees are your best ambassadors. Invest in training to improve reception, product knowledge and objection handling. Support and sales techniques must be aligned with the brand's codes.
Organize animations or demonstrations to capture customers' attention. This makes the shopping experience more memorable and encourages interaction with your products. The shop window deserves special attention and remains an irreplaceable tool for attracting customers.
Install interactive kiosks, QR codes or digital screens to enhance the customer experience. These tools can be used to access additional information or place online orders directly from the store.
Develop a recognizable and differentiating brand image. Emphasize your values, whether eco-responsibility, innovation or quality, to strengthen your customers' emotional attachment.
Track key indicators such as sales per m², conversion rate and average basket. These data enable you to adjust your actions according to the results obtained.
💡 Measure your brand's point-of-sale performance with Sidely CRM.
Need a little help tracking your sales performance? We've also put together a list of useful KPIs for you!
Retail marketing KPIs enable us to measure the effectiveness of our actions and adjust strategies to meet sales targets.
Here are the main KPIs used in distribution:
All that's left for us to do is to wish you good sales thanks to high-flying retail marketing!
