FROM AISLE TO ALGORITHM
At the NFRA Executive Conference this year, we focused on a defining challenge for frozen and refrigerated categories: high purchase frequency creates opportunity, but habitual behavior makes it difficult to influence what shoppers actually choose.
During our session, "From Aisle to Algorithm: Using Retail Media to Drive Loyalty in Frozen & Refrigerated," Tiffany Williams, Group VP of Brand Acceleration at Inmar Intelligence, shared how retailers and brands are addressing that challenge—using retail media to shape decisions before the trip, reinforce them in-store, and drive repeat behavior over time.
The discussion followed a practical framework for turning shopper insight into activation, grounded in how these categories are actually shopped.
Here are a few takeaways from the conversation.
INFLUENCE THE LIST BEFORE THE AISLE—BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE DECISIONS ARE MADE
For frozen and refrigerated categories, growth starts before a shopper enters the store. These are routine, high-frequency purchases where decisions are often made in advance—and reinforced quickly in-store.
As Tiffany shared: "Frozen and refrigerated categories show up in nearly every household, every week. But most trips are mission-based and habitual, not browse-heavy." In fact, 80% of shoppers decide the category and nearly 70% decide the brand before the trip.
That behavior is shaping how leading retailers and brands activate retail media today. They invest early—across search, digital offers, and meal planning moments—then use in-store touchpoints to confirm decisions and drive conversion.
FOCUS ON THE RIGHT SHOPPERS TO DRIVE REPEAT BEHAVIOR AND MARGIN
In categories driven by habit and substitution, not every shopper contributes equally to growth. Winning strategies prioritize the audiences most likely to shift behavior—whether that’s reactivating lapsed buyers, converting switchers, or reinforcing loyalists.
Tiffany introduced a framework to guide that focus:
- Personalization — “Show me that you know me”
- Prioritization — Focus on the audiences that drive growth
- Presence — Show up in the moments that matter
- Penetration — Build long-term loyalty
Retailers applying this model align incentives and messaging to real shopper behavior. In practice, that means moving beyond broad, volume-driven promotions and investing in targeted strategies that drive repeat purchase and long-term value.
CONNECT ACTIVATION ACROSS MOMENTS TO DRIVE CONVERSION AND REPEAT
In frozen and refrigerated, the most valuable influence happens across a sequence of moments that span the full shopper journey. Shoppers move quickly from planning to purchase, and each touchpoint plays a role in reinforcing the decision.
Effective programs connect pre-shop planning (search, lists, digital offers), in-store decision points (aisle, shelf, signage) and post-purchase engagement (loyalty, repeat targeting).
The shelf remains a critical conversion point, and its performance is shaped by what happens before and after the trip. A connected activation approach ensures that each interaction builds toward repeat behavior—turning a single purchase into an ongoing relationship.
USE RETAIL MEDIA TO EXPAND HOW SHOPPERS ENGAGE WITH THE CATEGORY
Frozen and refrigerated categories already anchor the weekly shop, reaching nearly every household and driving consistent trip frequency, but the real opportunity lies in expanding how and when shoppers engage with them. Our first-party shopper and transaction data shows that refrigerated products reach over 90% of households and drive repeat visits, while frozen appears in one in three baskets and plays a growing role in meal planning.
At the same time, shopper behavior shows a blending of fresh and frozen in the same meal, prioritizing health-forward and protein-rich options, and more intentional, value-driven decisions. Retail media gives brands and retailers a way to shape these behaviors in real time, reinforcing relevance and increasing both basket size and frequency.
As Tiffany noted: "Frozen and refrigerated combine high intent and strong margins with deeply habitual behavior—making them one of the most powerful opportunities to influence the shopping list and drive brand trial."
Retail media enables brands and retailers to shape those behaviors—introducing new usage occasions, reinforcing value, and driving cross-category engagement that grows both basket size and frequency.
MEASURE WHAT DRIVES LONG-TERM BEHAVIOR
In high-frequency categories like frozen and refrigerated, it’s hard to rationalize that "growth is built over time," but it’s true. A single promotion can drive trial or a need-based one-off brand switch, but sustained performance comes from repeat purchase and stronger shopper relationships. That shift requires teams to align around a shared definition of success—one that prioritizes incremental sales, repeat engagement, and lifetime value.
Leading organizations are making this work by connecting teams and data across the business. They align retailer and brand KPIs, bring together media, shopper marketing, and sales, and rely on closed-loop measurement to tie exposure directly to purchase and repeat behavior.
With that foundation in place, teams gain a clearer view of what’s actually driving performance and the confidence to scale the programs that deliver long-term growth.
LEARN MORE FROM US
Growth in frozen and refrigerated categories comes from understanding real shopper behavior and reinforcing value across every moment—from planning to purchase to repeat.
If you missed the session at NFRA but still want to start a conversation for your refrigerated or frozen business, you can connect with a member of our team by filling out the form.