Skip navigation

Supervalu Online Ads Drive Sales

MINNEAPOLIS — New research reported by Nielsen Catalina Solutions, New York, and Supervalu here found that online display advertising, particularly localized circular pricing and product information, was effective in driving in-store grocery sales.

Supervalu partnered with PointRoll and its retail division, ShopLocal, to test interactive banner advertising that created a display ad relevant to each store location.

"This study not only enabled us to better understand our customers and respond to their changing media habits, but to acutely measure the value of our online spend and the benefits of more relevant and activation-based advertising," said Shelly Nelson, director of connections strategy and media for Supervalu, in a statement. "Online delivery of weekly sale items is cost-effective and is relevant to today's consumer."

The joint study, which measured more than 30 million impressions delivered by PointRoll, found that Supervalu created an overall increase in in-store sales during the three-month interactive banner campaign period. In addition, an interactive, localized expandable ad unit known as a PaperBoy eCircular, significantly outperformed the standard non-expanding flash ad. The PaperBoy ad sales lift among exposed households was three times higher compared with a standard ad lift, even though the average frequency on the standard ads was 75% higher. The average cost per thousand (CPM) was the same for both the standard non-expanding and expandable PaperBoy ads.

"As a result of these findings, Supervalu has doubled the weekly impressions of this ad unit in the banners already utilizing it and will continue to roll out this program at additional banners throughout the year," Nelson added.

Through the study, Supervalu also was able to better understand what characteristics comprised various household segments, finding that one particular segment accounted for only 31% of impressions yet drove 69% of incremental sales.