2023 Onsite Shopper Behavior: How Brands Can Maximize Retail Media Campaigns

Criteo analyzed data from consumer transactions across thousands of our US and EMEA retailer partners to uncover exactly how onsite advertising impacts consumer buying behavior.

Download the US and EMEA reports

Understanding the impact of online ads on retail consumer behavior to optimize success

With more people shopping online than ever, retailers and brands know all too well the importance of onsite advertising. The ability to help brands stand out on the digital shelf and deliver personalized experiences to shoppers has cemented onsite as an essential advertising channel.

That’s why Criteo created two new reports, made up of fresh consumer stats to help advertisers in the US and EMEA better understand what onsite shopping looks like today. Check out our findings:

• How shoppers are buying on retail sites
• The impact of ads on shopper purchases
• How brands can use these insights for immediate impact

Download the US and EMEA reports

Where shoppers start their onsite journey

While most shoppers begin at the Homepage, many others begin with the results from major search engines (including sponsored ads). The results lead shoppers to multiple onsite starting points including the Homepage, Category pages, and Product Detail pages (PDPs).

Where do they go next? For those that land on the Homepage, about 45% of both US and EMEA consumers go on to visit a Search page—indicating that searching for a desired product is an ingrained shopper behavior. On the other hand, 28% of US shoppers and 33% of EMEA shoppers who land on the Homepage go on to visit a PDP, often influenced by the effectiveness of ads at driving traffic to desired pages.

Download the US and EMEA reports

More live time generates more ROAS

Criteo data shows that brands benefit from running onsite ads more frequently with longer campaign live times. Campaigns that went live by at least 50% longer during a given period resulted in increased performance across categories—including conversation rates that rose by 30-130% for both US and EMEA retailers.

Download the US and EMEA reports

Abundant acquisition opportunities

While many shoppers like to return to the brands that they already know and love, Criteo’s retailer data shows that a full 60% of both US and EMEA onsite shoppers are first-time customers.

Shoppers are also highly likely to switch brands: The Apparel & Accessories (82%), Arts & Entertainment (77%), and Health & Beauty (76%) categories have the highest share of shoppers globally making onsite purchases with new brands.

Download the US and EMEA reports

Steady conversion rates across ad slot placements

Ads in the first slot are commonly known to be the most valuable as they generate about two times as much revenue as those in slot two.

However, Criteo’s US and EMEA data shows that ads with lower slot placements still drive impactful results: Conversion rates remain remarkably steady no matter an ad’s slot placement.

Download the US and EMEA reports

Frequently Asked Questions

What shopper behavior is covered in the US and EMEA reports?

The Onsite Shopper Behavior Reports include region-specific data on the retail.com shopper journey:

• Where shoppers start their search
• Second and third page navigation
• Page visit flow by categories (Health & Beauty, Electronics, Apparel, Grocery, and Toys)
• Time spent on each page
• First-time buyer activity

How does understanding shopper behavior impact retail strategy?

In addition to behavioral data about the shopper journey, we’ve uncovered performance insights that can help maximize campaign success. From ad slot ranking to multiple format exposures to broadened spend across retailers, our reports are packed with tactical intel to help maximize your retail strategy results.

What factors influence online shopping behavior on retailer sites?

Retail media empowers retailers and brands to better support shoppers throughout their journey on retailer websites. Our reports reveal how factors such as search, keywords, onsite display, ad placements, cross-selling, and campaign uptime all impact how shoppers interact with retailer websites and ultimately drive sales.