Driving Profit with Offer Agents
Staples Canada is a complex retail business: a cross-category assortment from core supplies to tech and print, two distinct B2B and B2C audiences shopping side by side, and millions of high-volume sessions across digital channels. Most of that traffic is anonymous, with no identity, profile, or history, and most visitors leave without ever being engaged.
Presented at CRMC 2026 by Megan Blackburn, Senior Director of Integrated Marketing at Staples Canada, this case study shows how Staples moved beyond mass discounting to real-time Offer Agents, converting anonymous traffic and building loyalty while protecting margin.
The Challenge
Most Traffic Is Anonymous
The reality of digital retail: unknown visitors with no identity or history, where behavior is the only signal to read, and most sessions end as missed opportunity.
- • Unknown visitors, no profile or history
- • Behavior is the only readable signal
- • Most leave without being engaged
Three Goals, One Balancing Act
Mass promotions weren't working, not for margin and not for loyalty. Staples needed to hit three goals at once without giving away profit on every order.
- • Grow conversion into completed baskets
- • Protect margin on every order
- • Build long-term loyalty value
Introducing an Offer Agent
Instead of asking who the customer is, the Offer Agent responds to what they're doing, moving from signal to decision to action in real time:
Signal
Evaluates visitor behavior in real time, reading intent from the moment rather than from identity.
Decision
Decides whether engagement is even needed, engaging selectively rather than universally.
Action
Determines the minimum effective incentive, moving spend from broad blasts to precise moments.
The Results
The always-on anonymous traffic program delivered sustained results, growing conversion while protecting margin:
1.3x
above target spend
+25%
average order value
+26%
return on ad spend
+4%
margin
The same engine, applied to known customers in a Preferred Member test, went further with a deeper signal:
+22%
average order value
2.4x
offer acceptance rate
1.4x
completion rate
What Changed
The lift came from precision over volume: engaging not every visitor and not every moment, but only when behavior signals intent. Three shifts sat at the heart of the program:
Behavior Over Identity
What a visitor does matters more than who they are. You don't need to know the customer to start building loyalty.
Moments Over Campaigns
Decisions made now, not weeks ago. Spend moves from scheduled blasts to the right moment, offer, and visitor.
Decisions Over Rules
Adaptive logic instead of hard-coded rules, deciding in real time rather than following a static playbook.
About This Presentation
What You'll Learn
- Why mass promotions fail on both margin and loyalty
- How an Offer Agent moves from signal to decision to action
- How to convert anonymous traffic without knowing the customer
- Why precision beats reach for both new and known customers
Perfect For
- Retail and marketing leaders reliant on promotions
- Digital and ecommerce teams converting anonymous traffic
- Merchants balancing conversion against margin
- B2B and B2C operators with high-volume traffic
Presented By
Megan Blackburn
Senior Director of Integrated Marketing, Staples Canada
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