Half of brand searches now start on a retailer site

Half of product searches now begin on a retailer's own site rather than a search engine, a shift that is reshaping where brands buy visibility.

Similar programs at rival firms have produced mixed results. In one well-known case, adoption exceeded projections within a year; in another, integration problems pushed the expected benefits back by almost eighteen months.

A survey of 400 mid-sized companies by the Northgate Survey found that 58 percent plan to increase their technology budgets next year, the highest share since 2021, even as most expect overall spending to stay flat.

Customers have welcomed the change. "Anything that shortens the time between order and delivery is good for us," said Leila Haddad, whose distribution business employs about 120 people and works with Halden & Co. in three regions.

What it costs to appear

The project had stalled twice before, most recently last year, when a change in leadership at Halden & Co. put several initiatives on hold. This time, the company says, the budget is approved and the contracts are signed.

The move comes as the sector adjusts to a year of slower growth. Analysts at the Northgate Survey estimate that spending in the category rose just 3 percent in the first half, compared with 11 percent a year earlier.

"The companies that will come out of this stronger are the ones that treated the slowdown as a chance to fix their cost base, not as a reason to freeze," said Leila Haddad, who follows the industry for the Northgate Survey.