Watch the webinar on demand
Growth isn't about doing everything. It's about making the right calls.
Online retailers are navigating rising costs, changing customer expectations, increasing competition and the growing influence of AI. So where should you focus next?
In this webinar, NZ Post's Chris Wong and PHD's Ed Sherban explore the latest online shopping trends and discuss the practical decisions businesses are making to drive growth in uncertain times.
Watch the recording to hear expert perspectives, real-world examples and actionable ideas you can apply to your business today.
What you'll learn
Drawing on insights from the latest eCommerce Market Sentiments Report, this session explores the trends shaping online retail and the opportunities businesses should be prioritising.
Make your value obvious
Shoppers are looking beyond price alone. Learn how delivery, returns, convenience, trust and the overall customer experience contribute to how customers define value.
Make trust visible
Trust has become one of the biggest drivers of purchase decisions. Discover why shoppers are spending more time researching retailers and what businesses can do to build confidence throughout the buying journey.
Make sure you can be found
AI is becoming a new discovery channel for shoppers. Learn how search behaviour is changing and what businesses need to consider to improve visibility as AI becomes a bigger part of the customer journey.
Key discussion topics
During the webinar, our panel tackles some of the biggest questions facing retailers today:
- Is discounting still working, or are retailers becoming too reliant on it?
- What does value really mean to today's shoppers?
- Is trust a competitive advantage or simply the minimum expectation?
- How is AI changing the way customers discover and evaluate brands?
- What practical steps can businesses take to improve their visibility in AI-powered search experiences?
- Where should retailers focus their investment for the greatest impact?
Meet the speakers
Chris Wong
GM Business, NZ Post
Chris shares insights from NZ Post's latest eCommerce Market Sentiments Report, covering changing shopper behaviour, spending trends, trust and the opportunities businesses should be focusing on right now.
Ed Sherban
SEO Director, PHD
Ed provides expert perspectives on search, digital discovery and AI, helping businesses understand how customers are finding and choosing brands in an evolving online landscape.
Debbie Allen
Head of Sales, NZ Post
Debbie facilitates the discussion, guiding a practical conversation focused on the challenges and opportunities facing retailers today.
Webinar Questions & Answers
1. Does having strong SEO foundations help businesses perform better in AI search?
Answer: Yes. SEO remains the foundation for visibility in AI-powered search experiences. AI tools often use similar signals to traditional organic search when identifying potential sources. Businesses with strong SEO fundamentals are more likely to be included in the pool of content AI systems draw from before applying trust and relevance filters.
2. What practical steps can retailers take to improve their visibility in AI tools?
Answer: There are three key actions retailers can take:
- Review and strengthen online assets, including websites, product descriptions, FAQs, Google Maps listings, Bing Places profiles, apps, and app store pages.
- Ensure AI bots can access website content, as some businesses unintentionally block AI crawlers.
- Regularly test relevant prompts in AI tools to see which businesses are being recommended and identify opportunities to improve visibility.
3. What short-term and long-term impacts do you see for the grocery sector over the next five years?
Answer: Convenience will continue to drive innovation in grocery retail. Businesses are investing heavily in collection and delivery experiences, and this trend is expected to continue. Perishable goods have become a significant category moving through NZ Post's network, reflecting growing demand for convenient grocery and food delivery solutions. The sector is likely to remain at the forefront of customer experience innovation.
4. How is AI changing customer shopping behaviour?
Answer: AI is increasingly becoming a discovery channel. Customers can now complete much of their product research within AI tools rather than conducting multiple searches across different websites.
While AI is reducing research-related website visits, it is not significantly reducing conversions. Customers often arrive on retailer websites better informed and ready to purchase, resulting in high-quality traffic despite lower overall volumes.
5. Do you expect paid AI advertising to develop similarly to Google Ads?
Answer: Yes. Paid AI advertising is already emerging, with pilot programmes operating in some markets. As AI platforms look for sustainable revenue models, advertising is expected to become more common. Retailers should begin experimenting with these channels but remain mindful that AI advertising platforms are still evolving and may have limited controls over where ads appear.
6. Is the growth of urgent delivery providers changing customer shopping behaviour in New Zealand?
Answer: Yes, but customer behaviour is highly context-dependent. Rather than choosing one delivery option all the time, customers select services based on their immediate needs.
Examples include:
- Urgent grocery purchases before hosting guests.
- Last-minute purchases.
- Situations where convenience and speed are particularly valuable.
Providing customers with a range of delivery choices is becoming an increasingly important part of the overall retail proposition.
7. Beyond visibility and sentiment, what metrics should businesses track for AI performance?
Answer: In addition to visibility and sentiment, businesses should monitor:
Citations
AI tools frequently cite third-party websites rather than brand-owned websites. Understanding which sources AI references can help businesses identify partnership opportunities and develop content that aligns with those trusted sources.
AI Referral Traffic
Google Analytics now includes an "AI Assistants" channel that allows businesses to:
- Track traffic from AI platforms.
- Understand customer behaviour.
- Analyse conversion performance.
- Optimise experiences for AI-referred visitors.
8. With Agentic Commerce emerging, should businesses prioritise investment in websites or product feeds?
Answer: The recommendation is to prioritise investment in websites.
Websites support a broader range of customer interactions beyond purchasing and can also be enhanced to communicate more effectively with AI agents using emerging standards and technologies. Improving website infrastructure and creating seamless agent-to-agent interactions will help businesses remain competitive as Agentic Commerce evolves.
Download the latest eCommerce Market Sentiments Report
Looking for more insights?
Explore the latest findings on shopper behaviour, retail trends and business priorities to help inform your next move.
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