Redner’s Markets, the employee-owned grocery chain based in Reading, Pennsylvania, increased new shoppers by 31 percent and returning customers by 34 percent after shifting its weekly circular from a static deals page into a localized digital advertising engine, according to a case study from Red Pepper Digital.
The results speak to a challenge facing grocery retailers of every size: grocers need to invest in both customer marketing and anonymous channels. Forbes estimates that between 70 and 90 percent of grocery customers shop anonymously, outside the reach of loyalty, email and SMS marketing. For regional operators competing with national chains, that untapped segment often represents the largest opportunity for growth.
“Red Pepper made it simple for us to bring our circulars online and use them in advertising that actually attracts new shoppers. We’ve seen real results in reaching beyond our core audience,” said Eric White, director of marketing at Redner’s.
Turning the weekly circular into an acquisition channel
Redner’s marketing had leaned heavily on retention channels, leaving little budget or focus for attracting new customers as competitors moved aggressively into digital-first strategies. Working with Red Pepper, the retailer replaced broad brand campaigns with performance-driven promotional advertising built around its existing weekly circular.
The program promoted hundreds of individual offers each week through dynamically generated display ads that pulled item and price data directly from the digital circular, eliminating manual creative production. Instead of simply targeting shoppers by proximity, the ads surfaced relevant weekly offers based on what individual shoppers were likely to want, helping make each impression more useful and actionable. Placements within five miles of each store put those relevant deals in front of high-intent shoppers close to the point of purchase, whether or not they belonged to the loyalty program. Each ad drove shoppers into an interactive circular experience integrated with ecommerce.
Results
In addition to the 31 percent lift in new shoppers and 34 percent gain in returning customers, the campaign generated 1.2 million product clicks and more than 27,000 mobile shopping lists, giving Redner’s measurable insight into how weekly offers contributed to engagement and sales.
The case study points to a broader shift in how retailers view the circular. Once a cost center tied to print distribution, the interactive digital circular is increasingly a retail media asset, with sponsored placements and CPG partnerships built directly into the shopping experience.
