Drive-to-store: definition, importance and examples

What is drive-to-store?

Drive-to-store is a marketing strategy that aims to attract consumers to physical points of sale by leveraging digital and geolocation tools. Initially associated with car travel, this concept has expanded to include all actions that encourage customers to visit stores, whether on foot, by public transport, or by car.

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This approach relies on tools such as geolocation advertising, targeted promotional offers, push notifications, and social media campaigns. The goal is to bridge the gap between the online and in-store experiences by capitalizing on consumers' geographical proximity. For example, a brand can send a personalized notification to a customer passing by a store, offering them an exclusive discount.

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Drive-to-store is particularly effective at stimulating impulse purchases, strengthening customer engagement, and building customer loyalty. It also allows retailers to maximize their local visibility and optimize in-store traffic, while leveraging product data centralized in a PIM to ensure the consistency of the information displayed (promotions, stock, descriptions).

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In an omnichannel ecosystem, drive-to-store becomes a key lever for brands that want to unify their customer journey and transform their digital presence into physical sales.