The Challenges

Of course, online conversions can be difficult to achieve given the number of ads that a consumer might see when they begin searching for luxury eyewear on Google. LIAs offer retailers like Sunglass Hut the capability to not only promote its products but also indicate which products are available for pickup based on their proximity to a physical store.

“Our biggest goal was to connect the online and offline worlds,” the performance marketing supervisor says. “LIAs are a way for us to highlight our omnichannel capabilities and distinguish ourselves from other retailers.”

Setting up LIAs can be challenging, however, especially for marketing teams with limited internal resources to create and manage the product feeds they require.
“It’s a complex integration process to match the online feeds with the offline availability of the products,” he says. “You can find yourself having to fix the feeds quite often.”

The Solution

Highstreet.io’s proven track record in connecting LIAs with Google Shopping Ads ensured Sunglass Hut would achieve the greatest possible return on investment (ROI) for its campaigns and freed up the team to focus on developing strategies to promote its stylish portfolio of products within a target radius for each customer.

The Results

Sunglass Hut has been live with LIAs via help from Highstreet.io since 2021. It has since continued to refine and enhance its approach, such as using “pick up later” badges on products that are not currently available in-store but available for pickup at a later date. This allows Sunglass Hut to cover its entire catalog as part of its marketing strategy.

In a year-over-year analysis of its marketing campaigns covering the fourth quarter of 2023 in the U.S., LIAs have provided Sunglass Hut with increased visibility to its target audience and compelled them to visit its site to pursue its vast selection of designer frames such as Ray Ban, Oakley and more.

Some of the biggest benefits include:

15% click-through rate (CTR) increase

Consumers have a strong “drive to store” incentive when they see LIAs that indicate what they’ll find if they visit a Sunglass Hut location in person. The impact of LIAs was felt beyond the U.S., too, with a 7% CTR increase in Australia and 5% in Canada.

Though the teams work hard to employ several different tactics that achieve these sorts of results, he credited the work done with Highstreet.io as a big factor.

 “We attribute most of the growth we’ve been seeing to the local inventory ads,” he says, “because now we have a much higher presence for the badges in our Google Shopping campaigns.”

70% increase in click-and-collect orders

No one lines waiting in long lineups, and Sunglass Hut customers can avoid them by taking advantage of the information conveyed through LIAs to have products waiting for them.

124% YoY increase in ‘pickup point’ shipping method

Customers never have to be disappointed when they click through a LIA and don’t find the eyewear, they’re looking for immediately available. They can still place an order and have it shipped to the most convenient location, which reinforces the power of Sunglass Hut’s omnichannel approach.

Next step

The success Sunglass Hut has achieved has paved the way for other brands across the Essilor Luxottica group to begin exploring LIAs campaigns. Meanwhile, Sunglass Hut is now investigating the opportunity to build upon its marketing through Google Shopping and try LIAs through social commerce platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Working with a partner like Highstreet.io means it moves forward with confidence, knowing it has access to deep industry expertise and a highly professional team.

Highstreet.io has always been very helpful to us,” the performance marketing supervisor says. “It’s a complex integration between online and offline data, and our experience has been excellent.