Closing Online-to-Offline Sales Gaps for Auchan Portugal

Increasing ROAS 14x with Google Ads & Sales Measurement

With 60+ physical spaces in Portugal, from proximity stores to hypermarkets, Auchan is one of the country’s most influential retailers. To support its large product portfolio, our client needed an omnichannel sales measurement solution to connect customers’ online research and offline buying behavior.

OUR BOLD AMBITION

Auchan had a large footprint in Portugal and primarily used Google Ads to boost their online sales. With a diverse product portfolio, featuring categories ranging from food and beverage to home decor and tech, the brand knew that some products were more frequently purchased offline. Auchan was also aware that a growing customer base now researches products online and purchases in-store. Aiming to become a leader in “phygital” – a combination of physical and digital – commerce, our client quickly prioritized the need to map the online-to-offline (O2O) effect.

OUR SOLUTION

Working with Auchan, EssenceMediacom and Google, our team began an ambitious project: integrating Auchan’s first-party offline sales data with their Google Ads account. We implemented Google’s Store Sales Direct to measure the influence that Google Ads media had on the brand’s offline sales. By matching user interactions with Google ads to email-linked offline transactions – such as making a purchase in-store with a loyalty card – we were able to show the impact ads had on buying behavior. This integrated approach allowed our client to close the loop between online search media and offline sales.

OUR RESULTS

Measuring the impact of offline digital sales is highly valuable for a retail brand. Auchan can now track which campaigns best drive offline sales and omnichannel performance. They can also identify how well different campaigns optimize each channel, as well as the exact online and offline conversion rates. 

Thanks to our holistic measurement solution, Auchan’s omnichannel return on ad spend (ROAS) increased 14-fold, compared to ROAS from online performance alone. In addition, we calculated that for every online transaction, 32 conversions happened in-store. Our client is now in an optimal position to calculate omnichannel ROAS, optimize budgets efficiently and enable campaign optimization with offline sales.

With these results, Auchan can continue to develop their understanding of consumer behavior using tools within the Google ecosystem. The valuable insights from this O2O approach will enhance the brand’s overall marketing strategy and campaign performance going forward.