Arena Media Transforms Carrefour’s Relationship with its Customers Through the Power of Data

In collaboration with Arena Media, Carrefour Spain redefined its loyalty strategy by focusing on customer-centric approaches driven by data insights and digital transformation. The “Club Carrefour” loyalty program, launched in 2005, has grown into Spain’s largest customer community, surpassing 9.4 million members by 2022. Carrefour’s data-driven initiatives helped increase purchase recurrence, attract new customers, and enhance customer relationships through personalized offers, propelling the company’s leadership in e-commerce and retail audiences. 

The cost-of-living crisis has intensified pressure on consumers, leading to a fragmented shopping landscape where loyalty to a single supermarket is becoming less common. As retail brands engage in a race to the bottom on pricing, shoppers are bombarded with constant promotional noise and increasingly expect more from the brands they support. Recognizing the need for a strategic shift to staying competitive and retaining customer loyalty in a challenging market, Carrefour decided to implement a loyalty strategy that goes beyond transactional interactions, aiming to give something back to its customers and foster a deeper, more meaningful connection.  

The company set clear goals to increase purchase recurrence by identifying high-value customers, while also aiming to build long-term loyalty through enhanced profitability and value creation. Leveraging data and technology to attract new customers was also a key objective. Additionally, Carrefour aimed to expand its Club Carrefour membership, with a target of reaching 9 million active members, positioning the brand for continued success in customer loyalty. 

To build long-term loyalty and strong customer relationships requires putting customers at the center of every decision. By tapping into the wealth of insights gained from their omnichannel interactions Carrefour could now deepen the understanding of their customers’ needs and preferences. 

This approach allowed Carrefour to offer a more personalized shopping experience, ensuring relevancy at every touchpoint. Based on their purchase history, consumers received coupons for their favorite products. DCO was also utilized to personalize offers and create content across multiple categories. 

Together with Arena Media, Carrefour launched online and app versions of Club Carrefour, extending their reach and making it easier for customers to interact with the brand through their preferred channels. 

By implementing a Data Management Platform (DMP) and using zero and first-party data, Carrefour enhanced its communication with customers across the digital ecosystem. Recognizing that modern customer behavior is both multichannel and multiformat. 

Additionally, Carrefour collaborated with Google to develop store sales solutions that linked customer searches on Google with both online and in-store purchases, further blurring the lines between digital and physical retail. 

Understanding that customer relationships evolve over time, Carrefour employed data analytics to uncover the complexities of these relationships. With the introduction of the Club Carrefour Lifetime Value model, Carrefour gained predictive insights into customer behavior. 

This tool allowed Carrefour to assess the value of each customer and predict their likelihood of returning, enabling the brand to provide even more personalized experiences and build deeper, long-term loyalty. 

Club Carrefour’s success is not only seen in its growing membership base—surpassing 9.4 million members in 2022, with 50% being repeat visitors—but also in tangible business results. Customers who are part of the loyalty program generated a 50% higher invoice rate compared to non-members. Additionally, Carrefour secured its position as a leader in e-commerce audiences, building its own internet audience that accounted for 25% of Spain’s online retail users. 

The success of Club Carrefour demonstrates the power of data when used strategically to align business goals with customer needs.