Retail Customer Engagement Strategy for Retailers & CPG Brands

Marketing Resilience in a Shifting Economy: Data-Backed Tactics for Retailers and CPG Brands
How to strengthen customer engagement and drive sales when consumer behavior is in flux 

As inflation, tariffs, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and overall economic uncertainty reshape the economy, retailers and CPG brands face increasing pressure to adapt their marketing and execution strategies. According to consumer insights shared by industry research, 76% of consumers plan to reduce spending, while private-label alternatives continue to gain traction.  

This only makes customer experience and brand loyalty more important, to remain competitive, brands must go beyond just new products and cut through the noise, demonstrating impact both in-store and across marketing strategies, from in-person and TV to outdoor and digital channels with an omnichannel retail presence. By leveraging real-time data, agile marketing systems, and integrated retail execution insights, brands can drive measurable outcomes and build lasting resilience.
 

Emphasize Value Through Retailer-Ready Messaging
As assortment strategies narrow and promotional budgets face tighter oversight, CPG brands must show not just value, but also operational and promotional efficiency to create loyal customers with repeat purchases.  

Key Strategies: 

• Use badging and co-branded campaign assets to reinforce product value and exclusive offers 

• Emphasize product performance, regional trends, or cost-per-unit benefits when competing with private labels 

• Leverage real-time shelf data to align promotional plans with in-store availability 

How Trax Helps: With Trax’s Execution and Image Recognition solutions, marketers and sales teams are equipped with in-store data on availability, promotion compliance (such as loyalty programs or marketing campaigns), and shelf conditions. These are the top critical inputs for retailer-specific messaging and negotiation that can increase conversion rates, along with lifetime value of the customer.
 

Lead with Transparency and Customer Data
Research indicates that 32% of consumers are willing to accept tariff-related price increases, but only when brands are transparent. Retailers also want transparency, backed by credible data that informs supply chain realities, pricing shifts, or promotion strategy. This can in turn not only help with customer retention but with customer satisfaction and positive feedback about the brands and retailers involved 

What works: 

• Collaborate on business plans that are backed by real-time, on-the-ground data 

• Provide teams with customized content and data-driven resources to support discussions with buyers 

• Gain trust by addressing risks early, using real-time shelf insights to create clear action plans 

How Trax Helps: Through Signal-Based Merchandising, Trax enables brands and retailers to operate from a shared source of data truth, helping marketing and commercial teams speak with confidence and clarity, generating real-time in-store insights.
 

Activate and Validate with In-Store Shopper Engagement
Shopper behavior data is a powerful proof point, especially when pitching retailers or measuring program success. Trax’s Engagement solution, Shopkick, offers a compelling way for brands to influence and track in-store behavior, at scale.

Why it matters: 

• Drives foot traffic and product discovery through gamified rewards and location-based activation 

• Provides behavior insights for retail businesses and CPGs to validate marketing impact 

• Strengthens retailer partnerships by showing clear, measurable lift from co-funded shopper engagement 

How Trax Helps: By creating real-world shopper engagement and conversion signals, Shopkick gives retailers & CPG brands the tools to validate program ROI and enhance retail collaboration with data-backed results across various touchpoints. Shopkick is the only in-store engagement solution that guarantees product in hand, pushing purchase and trial.  

Final Takeaway: The Advantage Belongs to the Agile
Resilient marketing comes down to three things: emphasizing value, providing clear education, and executing with speed. In times of uncertainty, brands that quickly adapt and communicate authentically will stay ahead of the curve and engage customers through these times. 

At Trax, we help brands and retailers bridge shelf-level execution with digital agility. Our data and AI-powered solutions enable retailers and CPG brands to act on real-time conditions, ensuring every campaign performs where it counts from branding to checkout.
 

Explore how Trax can power your resilience in any economy.