Enhancing E-Commerce Performance of Easter Zone for One of the Largest Supermarket Chains in the UK, using MicroStrategy

Background

The head of online trading, content, and merchandising for an e-commerce grocery platform is interested in understanding the performance of the Easter zone and identifying opportunities for site improvement. This analysis focuses on customer engagement with Easter-related pages, examining trends, peak periods, and the performance of various product categories on the ecommerce grocery website.

Objectives

Trend Analysis: Identify trends in page views for different Easter product categories over time.
Peak Periods: Determine peak periods of customer engagement.
Category Performance: Compare the performance of various product categories.
Site Improvement: Provide actionable insights for enhancing the Easter zone on the website.
Marketing Optimization: Offer recommendations for optimising marketing strategies based on data analysis.

• Data Import and Preparation
• Date Recognition, Creating relationships
• Hierarchies Setup
• Calculations, Data wrangling
• Report creation
• Dossiers
• Trend Analysis report
• Peak Engagement
• Category Comparison

• Time Series Analysis: Applied time series analysis to predict future trends using MicroStrategy’s advanced analytics features.
• Correlation Analysis: Analysed the correlation between page views and marketing campaigns or external factors using MicroStrategy’s powerful analytical tools.
• Reporting and Insights.
• Summary Reports: Generated summary reports that highlighted key insights and trends. MicroStrategy’s reporting capabilities enabled the creation of comprehensive and easy-to-understand reports.

• Key Findings and Insights

  1. Identify Trends:

  • Overall Performance: Pages related to 'Easter Eggs & Chocolate' showed a steady increase in views leading up to Easter.
  • Specific Spikes: Sudden spikes in 'Hot Cross Buns & Cakes' page views indicated specific marketing pushes or increased interest due to external factors.

  2. Peak Engagement Periods:

  • Engagement Peaks: Engagement peaked around specific dates, likely influenced by marketing campaigns or seasonal shopping behaviours.
  • Timing for Marketing: Understanding these peaks can help in planning future marketing campaigns more effectively.

  3. Category Performance:

  • Top Categories: 'Easter Eggs & Chocolate' was consistently the top-performing category, followed by 'Easter Essentials'.
  • Low Engagement Areas: Lower engagement in categories like 'Easter Egg Hunt' suggested a need for improved visibility or promotion.

  4. Marketing Strategy:

  • Optimising Campaigns: Insights informed the timing and focus of marketing efforts, such as when to launch email campaigns or social media ads.
  • Inventory Management: Adjusting inventory based on anticipated demand spikes improved sales and customer satisfaction.

• Recommendations for Site Improvement

  1. Enhanced Visibility and Navigation:

  • Category Placement: Ensure that top-performing categories like 'Easter Eggs & Chocolate' are prominently displayed on the homepage and Easter zone landing page.
  • Search Functionality: Improve search functionality to help users find Easter-related products more easily.

  2. Content Optimization:

  • Engaging Content: Create engaging and informative content around popular products, such as 'Easter Essentials' and 'Hot Cross Buns & Cakes'.
  • Visual Appeal: Use high-quality images and videos to attract attention to key product categories.

  3. Personalised Recommendations:

  • Personalised Offers: Utilise data to provide personalised product recommendations and offers based on user behaviour and preferences.
  • Cross-Selling and Up-Selling: Implement cross-selling and up-selling strategies on product pages and during the checkout process.

  4. Marketing and Promotions:

  • Targeted Campaigns: Launch targeted marketing campaigns during identified peak periods to maximise engagement.
  • Discounts and Offers: Offer time-limited discounts and special offers on high-demand products to drive sales.

  5. Performance Monitoring:

  • Real-Time Analytics: Use real-time analytics to monitor the performance of the Easter zone and make data-driven adjustments.
  • Feedback Loops: Establish feedback loops to continuously gather user feedback and improve the site experience.

Conclusion

MicroStrategy played a crucial role in analysing the e-commerce grocery business’s page view data for the Easter zone. Its robust data visualisations, advanced analytics, and reporting capabilities provided valuable insights into customer behaviour and site performance. By leveraging these insights, the company can enhance the Easter zone performance, improve user engagement, and optimise marketing strategies, ultimately driving sales and amplifying the overall customer experience during the critical Easter shopping period.