Boosting your omnichannel
In 2022, the bell tolled for paper flyers in the grocery retail industry. As we dawned into 2023, a wave of announcements swept across the sector, with retailers one after the other declaring their intention to cease distributing their catalogs in mailboxes. This shift marked a definitive pivot towards digital media-driven traffic generation strategies, acting as a potent booster for omnichannel transformation among grocery retailers.
« Starting in 2023, E.Leclerc stores across France will phase out the distribution of flyers in mailboxes. The complete transition will be effective by September 1, 2023, ahead of the outcomes of the “Oui Pub” trials conducted in various French regions. »
Michel Edouard Leclerc announcement, December 2022
« Carrefour France will reduce the distribution of its paper by 40% in 2023 and by 80% in 2024. »
Alexandre Bompard announcement, November 2022
What media strategy to compensate for the end of paper catalogs distributed in mailboxes?
Catalogs, both in print and digital formats, are well-liked by consumers.
73% of French consumers express a positive attitude towards catalogs, irrespective of their distribution channel.
Source : Les Français et le catalogue, September 2022, La Poste Solutions Business
Whether showcasing food or non-food items, catalogs offer a quick and convenient way to browse through a wide range of offerings and products presented in inspiring settings. This contextualization plays a crucial role in creating a compelling shopping experience, highlighting product benefits and adding visual interest to the product lineup.
Catalogs are consistently ranked as the most effective medium for presenting promotions and safeguarding consumer purchasing power. The use of graphic elements to highlight products effectively prioritizes commercial offerings, helping customers identify the best deals and maximize their value for money.
Catalogs are a source of inspiration for 67% of French consumers.
Source : Les Français et le catalogue, September 2022, La Poste Solutions Business
It is therefore crucial to preserve this appeal while adapting the ergonomics of the paper catalog to its digital version, and while creating other equally powerful and more “single-product” contextualization formats.
How to transition from catalogs to omnichannel?
Catalogs, whether paper or digital, are ultimately just the tip of the iceberg of a retailer’s commercial offering. Behind this final presentation, the engine of promotions lies in the structured organization of product data and commercial offers.
All of this offer data is the result of collaborative work between purchasing and marketing teams at retailers. This is supplemented by content imports from manufacturers and various product data feeds, and is highly subject to price variations, negotiations, etc.
The ARISTID software suite dedicated to retail allows retailers to organize all this offer data. Its main software, OMNIPUBLISH by ARISTID, is a platform used by the biggest French retailers: Carrefour, Intermarché, Système U, Brico Dépot.
It constitute the reference datalake for commercial offers and the means for these retailers to create as many advertising formats as necessary to distribute these offers in an omnichannel manner.
All this data is used to create the famous catalog, but it is above all structured to be made available to the various adtechs that enable the distribution of this promotional content. OMNIPUBLISH by ARISTID allow retailer to test all possible distribution channels by simple API connection and to evaluate their real effectiveness on its audience. The retailer remains in control of its commercial data, since he can cut off the flow between OMNIPUBLISH by ARISTID and the media at any time.
“Digital must reinvent itself to serve our customers, and data must help retail to seek more performance and also to invent new businesses.”
Elodie Perthuisot at Tech for retail rtade show, November 2022