In today’s retail environment, the consumer shopping journey is increasingly fragmented. People may browse content on social media while searching for products on a search engine, or decide to buy only after watching an unboxing video on YouTube. This cross-platform, cross-channel behaviour makes it harder for brands to influence consumer decisions.
Google’s Retail Connect offers brands and retailers a more efficient way to work together.
1. Drive traffic before driving sales: the key starting point of the shopping journey
According to research by Kantar, as many as nine in ten consumers first explore products through search or video content before visiting a retailer or brand page. This means that to win in a fiercely competitive retail market, brands must increase their visibility early in the consumer’s decision process.
Traditional retail media networks (RMN) focus on using retailers’ first-party data for precise targeting, but this usually happens after the consumer has already entered the shopping platform, where competition with other brands is hard to avoid. The difference with Google Retail Connect is that it lets brands drive traffic successfully “before shopping begins” and win a place in the consumer’s mind.
2. A strong combination of brand advertising needs and retailer data
At its core, Google Retail Connect combines Google Ads’ advertising capabilities with retailers’ data. This collaboration brings three key benefits:
- Brands gain early exposure at the search and YouTube stage, directing consumers to their brand pages on retail channels.
- Retailers use first-party data to sharpen targeted marketing, making sure the incoming traffic converts more effectively.
- Consumers get a smoother shopping experience, moving seamlessly from exploring and comparing to ordering.
3. Cases and results
The article cites a range of research data and brand examples showing that Retail Connect can improve return on ad spend (ROAS) and actual sales conversions.
For example:
- After adopting Retail Connect, some brands saw click-through and conversion rates clearly better than with traditional RMN campaigns.
- Consumers are more likely to develop a preference for the brand before browsing products, reducing head-to-head competition with similar products.
For more detail, see the success story of Haleon to learn how retail collaboration ads help brands break out of a crowded retail market.
Q&A
Q: Which retailers can I work with?
A: According to public information, the platforms currently available are PChome and Shopee. (Refer to official announcements for the latest updates.)
Q: How do I get started with Retail Connect?
A: Apply by filling in the official form for PChome or Shopee.
Q: Are the campaign types available with Retail Connect different from running Google Ads in my own account?
A: At present they are the same. The difference is that Retail Connect can connect to a third-party e-commerce platform’s product catalogue, and for audiences you can apply for the third-party platform’s category audience packages.
