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Australian e-commerce retailers are facing a more complex operating environment, where rising customer expectations, tighter budgets and fragmented data are reshaping how growth is achieved.<\/p>\n
New research from Intuit Mailchimp shows that consumers across Australia and New Zealand are more selective about engaging with brands than their global peers, with 64 per cent opting into email and 50 per cent to SMS \u2013 the lowest rates among surveyed markets. At the same time, while marketing messages are increasing, only 40 per cent of consumers say they are paying more attention, and around a quarter are tuning out altogether.<\/p>\n
For retailers, this signals a shift from volume-led marketing that is losing effectiveness to relevance, which is becoming the primary driver of performance.<\/p>\n
Anthony Capano, regional director, Apac at Intuit Mailchimp, said this environment is forcing businesses to rethink how they approach customer acquisition and engagement.<\/p>\n
\u201cANZ consumers are some of the most intentional audiences when it comes to brand communications,\u201d Capano told Inside Retail<\/em>. \u201cIn today\u2019s noisier inbox, customers are more discerning about what they engage with and quicker to tune out what doesn\u2019t feel relevant.<\/p>\n \u201cThat makes it harder to capture new subscribers and easier to lose attention if the message doesn\u2019t land.\u201d<\/p>\n This growing selectivity is exposing weaknesses in traditional list-building and campaign strategies. According to Mailchimp\u2019s The Art of the Opt-In<\/em> report, more than four in 10 marketers in the region cite securing sign-ups as a key challenge, while many overestimate how much data consumers are willing to share.<\/p>\n Capano said the solution lies in shifting to a more deliberate, customer-led approach.<\/p>\n \u201cThe strongest results come from tying sign-ups to moments of high intent, such as after browsing or at checkout, where the value is obvious,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt also means being clear about what the customer will receive and showing restraint in both the data you ask for and the volume of messages you send.\u201d<\/p>\n This emphasis on restraint reflects a broader industry shift. Personalisation is no longer about basic tactics such as inserting a first name, but about using behavioural signals to guide communication.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means using website activity, e-commerce transactions and engagement patterns to understand where a customer is in their journey and what they are most likely to need next,\u201d Capano said. \u201cBrands that connect those signals in real time are the ones seeing the biggest ROI.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite this, many retailers still struggle to connect marketing activity to revenue. Globally, only 33 per cent of marketers say their pre-opt-in messaging is highly aligned, limiting their ability to measure performance.<\/p>\n Capano attributes this to structural challenges in how customer journeys are tracked.<\/p>\n \u201cCustomers move between devices and channels before converting, making it difficult to trace which touchpoints actually drove the sale,\u201d he said. \u201cTraditional attribution methods rely on cookies and URL parameters, which are increasingly blocked.\u201d<\/p>\n This has created significant blind spots for marketers, particularly as privacy changes accelerate.<\/p>\n Mailchimp\u2019s approach, he said, is to link engagement to outcomes using first-party identifiers such as email addresses and phone numbers, enabling more accurate attribution across channels.<\/p>\n Compounding the issue is the fragmented nature of many retail technology stacks. Customer data is often spread across multiple platforms, from email tools to SMS providers and e-commerce systems, making it difficult to build a unified view.<\/p>\n \u201cFor many marketing teams in Australia and New Zealand, which often operate with fewer than 10 people, that challenge shows up in day-to-day work,\u201d Capano said. \u201cTeams are constantly stitching together tools and reconciling data just to keep things moving.\u201d<\/p>\n The impact extends beyond inefficiency. Without unified data, retailers struggle to identify high-value customers, detect churn risk or confidently allocate budget.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s time taken away from strategy, creativity and optimisation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Intuit Mailchimp\u2019s February product release is designed to address these challenges by bringing data, analytics and execution into a single platform.<\/p>\n The update introduces a range of new capabilities, including a Site Tracking Pixel that captures consented e-commerce and behavioural data, and a revamped omnichannel dashboard that combines email, SMS, automation performance and e-commerce events into one view.<\/p>\n For retailers, Capano said, this unified approach is becoming essential.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a climate of tighter budgets and higher expectations, retailers are under more pressure to connect marketing activity directly to commercial outcomes,\u201d he said. \u201cBringing that data into one unified view gives teams the clarity they need to make confident decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n The platform also integrates AI and predictive analytics, enabling marketers to identify high-value and at-risk customers, automate segmentation and optimise campaigns with fewer manual inputs.<\/p>\n Alongside data unification, the release expands Mailchimp\u2019s omnichannel capabilities, reflecting the growing importance of coordinated customer journeys.<\/p>\n \u201cEffective omnichannel orchestration comes down to how well channels work together around the customer,\u201d Capano said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf someone browses a product but doesn\u2019t purchase, that might trigger a follow-up email with more detail, or an SMS with a reminder of a timely discount. Each message should build on the last.\u201d<\/p>\n Research supports this approach. Brands with highly aligned omnichannel messaging and timing are significantly more likely to report strong performance across channels, from social media to emerging AI-driven platforms.<\/p>\n As expectations on marketing teams evolve, there is increasing pressure to contribute not just to revenue, but to margin and long-term customer value.<\/p>\n This is changing how retailers approach analytics and investment.<\/p>\n \u201cRather than reporting on what happened, teams can use predictive analytics to identify high-value customers and recognise at-risk shoppers,\u201d Capano said. \u201cThat allows them to focus on the audiences and journeys that are more likely to drive repeat purchases and long-term value.\u201d<\/p>\n Recent product updates reflect this shift, with enhanced reporting designed to connect campaign activity directly to business outcomes, including revenue and customer lifetime value.<\/p>\n For businesses reviewing their technology stack, ease of migration is another critical factor. Mailchimp\u2019s latest updates include new tools to help retailers transfer contacts, templates and workflows with minimal disruption.<\/p>\n \u201cThe right platform should reduce complexity,\u201d Capano said. \u201cIt should bring together e-commerce data, campaign performance and customer signals in one place, while also reducing manual work.\u201d<\/p>\n AI-powered tools and automation are central to this proposition. Mailchimp reports that e-commerce customers save an average of 16 hours per week using the platform, while SMS users have seen returns of up to 22 times ROI.<\/p>\n For Australian retailers, growth will depend on how effectively they use data to drive relevance and results, says Capano.<\/p>\n By combining unified data, AI-driven insights and omnichannel execution, platforms such as Intuit Mailchimp are positioning marketing not just as a communications function, but as a core driver of profitability.<\/p>\n As Capano put it, \u201cthe focus is shifting from sending more messages to building smarter, more connected customer experiences that clearly tie back to revenue and long-term value.\u201d<\/p>\n Pickles Auctions is one Australian company that has constantly evolved the way it engages with customers over its 60-year history. <\/p>\n \u201cWith Intuit Mailchimp, we\u2019ve been able to simplify what was previously a complex mix of systems, signals, and customer behaviours, into something our team can actually act on,\u201d explains Oliver Garas, head of digital marketing at Pickles Auctions. \u201cThat\u2019s allowed us to send more relevant, timely messages that drive real action. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve focused on more precise segmentation and behaviour-led triggers to reach customers when intent is highest. And that doesn\u2019t just apply at the point of purchase. In an auction, one of our most valuable audiences is the person who misses out because they\u2019re already engaged and ready to act.\u201d<\/p>\n To make that work at scale, he says, Pickles relies on having a clear view of the customer, which allows it to design more responsive journeys that build anticipation and urgency.<\/p>\n \u201cThe result is stronger customer engagement and more sustained growth, with our audience scaling from 600,000 to 2.1 million monthly visitors over six years. At a time when attention is harder to earn, simplifying how we use data has been a defining factor in how we deliver more impactful communication.\u201d<\/p>\n The post Why smarter data, not more messages, will define e-commerce growth appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.<\/p>\nFrom volume to value<\/h3>\n
The attribution gap<\/h3>\n
The cost of fragmentation<\/h3>\n
A unified approach to growth<\/h3>\n
Orchestrating the omnichannel experience<\/h3>\n
Measuring what matters<\/h3>\n
Lowering the barrier to switching<\/h3>\n
From campaigns to commercial outcomes<\/h3>\n
How Pickles Auctions evolved engagement<\/h3>\n
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