Marty Lubeck

Selection bias is at the root of so many bad decisions in retail. Here are three claims I’ve actually heard over the years from either tech vendors pushing their solutions or brand execs blowing their own horn: 1. “Our loyalty program members spend X% more than non-members, so our loyalty program drives higher LTV.” No, it doesn’t. Most likely, what’s happening is that your heavy buyers are enrolling in your loyalty program to get discounts on products they were previously buying at full price. 2. “AOV on our mobile app is X% higher than on our website, so our mobile app drives higher AOV.” No, it doesn’t. Again, what’s probably happening is that the only people motivated enough to download your mobile app are customers who were highly loyal to your brand in the first place. (Also, if you’re running any app-specific promos, see the point above.) 3. “Our post-purchase surveys show that customers come from <insert random channel>, so we’ll double down on our investment there.” I… don’t even know where to begin with this one. When you put it like this, the problem is obvious. Unfortunately, reality is much more complicated than a LinkedIn post, and while these conclusions may never be explicitly stated, they will still live rent-free in the minds of decision-makers if you leave them unchecked. There’s only one reliable, repeatable solution that I know of: Write. Things. Down. Having a system for going from hypothesis to conclusion to initiative is the only way to systematically minimize bias in decision-making. I would love to say “eliminate” instead of “minimize,” but that would be a bit too ambitious, not to mention unnecessary: as in most things, you don’t need to be perfect—you just need to be better than the other guy. #ecommerce #retail #strategy #decisionmaking #data

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Great article by Siro! If you are in retail and have interest in private brands, this is a fabulous summary of recommendations for how to innovate and drive engagement with shoppers. #dunnhumby

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🏢 Let's not forget about in-store retail which is still a huge part of a brands overall retail media strategy. Peter Crosby & I sat down with Jeffrey Bustos from the IAB and Michael Wessel Esq. from Kroger to talk about the latest in-store media playbook! Be sure to listen 🎧 #digitalshelf #content #retailmedia #instore #omnichannel

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Let’s talk the power of RedMedia at Grocery Tech!

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Walmart has reported strong earnings in the first quarter, with a 6% year-over-year improvement in sales and growing profits. The retailer has seen traction among higher-income shoppers, although it is not specifically targeting this demographic. Walmart is investing in renovating its stores and building new locations to create a more inviting shopping experience. The company is expanding its product selection, including the launch of its premium private label brand Bettergoods, and has seen a significant increase in third-party marketplace sellers. The convenience of e-commerce, particularly through delivery and curbside orders, is contributing to sales growth. Walmart's combination of nicer stores, upscale merchandise, and convenient services is making it resemble Target. Target, on the other hand, has projected a decline in sales and has faced criticism over its handling of its annual Pride celebration. Walmart's success in emulating Target is surpassing Target's success in emulating Walmart. Walmart continues to be effective in its core business while also improving its performance in areas traditionally associated with Target. #walmart #target #retail

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As a lifelong retail merchant, I'm going to potentially have a stroke if the retail media continues to report sequential month-over-month results as an indicator of anything. Year-over-year results are indicative of true performance, with the caveat of a shift in a key seasonal event like...I don't know, perhaps Easter...that will impact the natural trends in consumer purchase behavior. In good news, inflation appears to continue to be cooling...good news unless you are trying to convince your buyer that a price increase you took previously should not now be reversed. Good luck with that, by the way... #retailmerchandising #retailsales #inflation

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“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist” Day 2 at #Groceryshop continued with the cementing theme around brand and retailer collaboration. In reference to retail media, Rachel Navarrski, Customer VP, NA eCommerce, #General Mills said it best when she stated that, “Understanding retailer and brand priorities and aligning on the problems that each party is trying to solve should be the anchor on how you build the JBP and strategies.  But, collaboration doesn’t just apply to retail media. Together retailers and brands are diving meaningful outcomes through #GenAI in some exciting ways. For example, Caleb Carr, Head of Data Science & Engineering- Schnucks Market, touted the importance of trust when employing GenAI between the business and the technologists who are leveraging it. Yes, there are risks which is why #Schnucks has steering committee to drive alignment across all key functional areas. Success with the employment of GenAI started with simple use cases. Use cases, also known as micro innovations, such as copywriting for marketers and doing it with the brand voice. A 30% increase in productivity occurred in the area of auditing and another area of low hanging fruit has been survey outlets. Critical to the Schnucks journey are partnerships with businesses like Upside to build out its personalization engine, Google for GenAI search and others to find the right use cases and push the industry forward for retailers and CPGs. Retail media wields tremendous potential as retailers and brands seek improved in-store technologies to enable personalized marketing. Bryan Leach, CEO & Founder of Ibotta, spoke to powering retailers like #Walmart, Dollar General, #Instacart and others in communicating promotions in the aisle along with retail media and other messages. The recent example of digital shelf technologies was hailed as a real gamechanger and Walmart will be rolling them out across all 4,600 locations over several years. Up to this point, the main purpose of digital shelf tagging has been operational efficiency for restocking, picking and price updates. The consumer applications are gaining momentum by enabling digital ads tied to coupon redemption and geo-targeting shopper preferences to drive penetration and buy rate. With projected ad spend of $180B by 2028, it is becoming even more challenging for brands to choose the right level of investment across so many channels so key issues such as building credibility about how to measure success will be pivotal to success. For example, retail media platforms are going to have to be able to say, “this is the scale you will get at this cost per incremental unit. You can find the balance between scale and efficiency particularly with a measurement team and agree upfront on the key KPIs that will be delivered consistently and with a great deal of rigor. The companies that can do that will earn the lion share of ad spend. #ecommerce #grocery #innovation #retailmedia #cpg

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CVS Health is stepping up the in-store experience with programmatic audio ads, allowing brands to reach shoppers in real-time as they browse CVS aisles. Partnering with The Trade Desk and Vibenomics, a Mood Media company. CVS Media Exchange (CMX) is bringing new, self-service audio ad placements to 6,900 stores nationwide, with plans to expand. Starting November 12, eligible advertisers can leverage geo-targeting, seasonal/dayparting strategies, and more to deliver 30-second audio messages in-store. Shoppers who hear these ads are 90% more likely to consider a purchase—an exciting boost for brand engagement. https://lnkd.in/drwRAb9b #RetailMedia #AudioAds #ProgrammaticAdvertising #CVS #CMX #InStoreMarketing #Vibenomics

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Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media arm for Albertsons Companies, has debuted Collective TV. According to the company, the solution unlocks the combined value of retail media and TV, providing advertisers with a modern currency for targeting, measuring and optimizing campaigns across streaming, digital video and soon linear TV. Despite the fast-paced growth of digital video ads, Albertsons Media Collective pointed out that the pathways for running connected TV (CTV) campaigns alone are varied and complex. Agencies, networks, streaming publishers, identity solutions and ad tech platforms have built silos for planning, executing and measuring CTV campaigns. | Progressive Grocer https://lnkd.in/giaREQN9 #retail #supermarkets #grocery #digital #retailmedia #video

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Our team talked through the differences in physical retail vs. digital this week. Cole Walker presented some great insight in the differences in Instacart behaviors and typical store patterns. The big underlying theme? Visibility means something entirely different when you’re talking digital vs. physical in retail. One of my favorite things to do in store is tidy up the shelf (most CPG folks I’ve found do this 😆). The physical shelf requires price tags, inventory, some decent packaging, and merchandising to look good. It also is seen by the human eye, which has a wide lens and can capture a lot of info at once. The digital shelf largely relies on inventory, reviews, and an algorithm paired with searches. It has a very narrow lens for viewership (1 listing per 1 inch of screen essentially) and is noisy in its own way. As the two worlds grow more intermingled, it’s imperative to remember the core ingredients that fuel each medium, and the recipe need for success.

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Dollar General is enhancing its retail media program by teaming up with solutions provider Criteo. The commerce media platform will work with the retailer's Dollar General Media Network (DGMN) arm to support onsite sponsored ad offerings. Through this arrangement, brand partners can access inventory and campaign execution and utilize Criteo’s self-service demand-side platform. Among other capabilities, brands can leverage DGMN’s inventory within their private market through Criteo’s retailer monetization platform. In addition, the technology enables brands to reach Dollar General’s digital customers who often build lists online before making their weekly in-store purchases. Omnichannel insights will be available for marketers to see if sales are taking place online or in-store. | Progressive Grocer https://lnkd.in/gATgumgr #retail #retailmedia #grocery #shoppers #media #digital

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Still shocked that most large retailers haven't implemented this to date. The potential for expansion of in-store retail media ad units and revenue (profit) is significant. It's a financial investment, but the opportunities are somewhat endless... think beyond pricing. #Retail #Marketing #BusinessOpportunities

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Retail Media Network Basics At A Glance At the Path to Purchase Institute, we've curated all the essential retail media intel, terms, and definitions you need to know. Whether you're new to retail media or looking to refresh your knowledge, this article is packed with valuable resources to help you stay ahead of the curve. Take a look and get up to speed on the latest in retail media. #RetailMedia #Marketing #P2PI #membership #MediaTrends https://lnkd.in/eS4Jnid8

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DTC/Digital Native Brands struggle to achieve scale. CPG portfolio's are stagnating. Consumers are trading down, and retailers owned brands are disproportionately growing. Target, Costco, Trader Joes, and Aldi owned brands are winning. Now Walmart has launched a formidable new elevated basics brand, BetterGoods. The best way to beat the Amazon/Temu/Shein/TikTok marketplaces is to sell products they don't have.

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As a consumer insights professional, you have to accept you will never understand all of your consumers' behaviors all of the time. For example, there is NEVER ANY REASON TO REACH OVER THE SNEEZE GUARD AT CHIPOTLE. EVER! Even if you are Barack Obama, I can assure you that the worker knows what "pico" or "no corn" or "yes, I know guac is extra" means without your grubby hands reaching into the food area. There is no data or research or analysis that will ever make this understandable or acceptable. #ConsumerInsights #MRX #MarketResearch #Chipotle

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It’s no secret that the retail dynamic is complicated right now — brands are fighting for every conversion in an increasingly expensive ad environment where consumers are less loyal and more price-conscious. But Walmart thinks it has the answer, for its own suppliers at least — making its robust slate of first-party data on shopper behavior and supply chain journeys available to brands via the Walmart Luminate suite of insights tools. #data #retailanalytics #walmart #dataventures

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Here's a topic I'm very passionate about as a former buyer. I experienced a number of cases where our retail media team sold media placements to brands that were not a strategic part of my assortment, and also cases where they "emptied" the marketing funds available from a key supplier that I needed for other sales-driving activities. In short, collaboration is key to a successful strategy for retail media and driving sales growth for all parties. #retailmedia #jointbusinessplanning #retailmerchandising

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