Industry · Retail & Stores

Freelance Google Ads & Meta Ads For Retail Stores

Sales, back to school, Black Friday, Christmas: every key moment plays out in your catchment area, and the sale happens at the till.

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Google PartnerSuperMalter (top 10%)61 five-star reviews on Malt and LinkedIn100+ clients

Retail Stores In The EU, In Numbers

Clothing, home, leisure: three kinds of shops as Eurostat measures them, then the month when customers search most for sales, an open shop or Black Friday on Google.

  • Clothing Shops

    NACE code 47.71

    Retail sale of clothing in specialised stores

    242,385 companies in the EU

    • 5.7 people per company on average
    • €205.8 billion in turnover
    • Most searched month: December
  • Home Equipment Shops

    NACE code 47.5

    Retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores

    321,571 companies in the EU

    • 5.4 people per company on average
    • €341.5 billion in turnover
  • Books, Sports And Toys

    NACE code 47.6

    Retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores

    151,017 companies in the EU

    • 4.4 people per company on average

Source: Eurostat, enterprises by NACE activity (dataset sbs_ovw_act), EU-27, NACE codes 47.71, 47.5 and 47.6, 2024 data updated on 30 September 2026. See the raw data. People per company: calculated from the number of people employed and the number of companies published by Eurostat.

The Google Search Calendar

Index 100 = the most searched month of each line. Searches in the United Kingdom, in English, from October 2025 to September 2026.

  • Seasonal Sales
  • Open Shops
  • Black Friday

Most searched month: seasonal sales in December, open shops in August, black friday in November. Black Friday: November brings 200.9 times the searches of June.

Source: Google Ads Keyword Planner, monthly search volumes in the United Kingdom, in English, from October 2025 to September 2026, retrieved on 14 October 2026 from Théo Maupilé's Google Ads account. Searches measured: “january sales”, “boxing day sales”, “summer sales”, “clearance sale”, “shops open today”, “shops open on sunday”, “shops near me”, “stores near me”, “black friday”, “black friday deals” and “black friday sale”. Method: each line adds up its searches, then takes the value 100 in its highest month. Google rounds the volumes it returns: the line shows the rhythm of demand, not an exact volume.

See the chart data
MonthSeasonal SalesOpen ShopsBlack Friday
October 202516716
November 2025167100
December 2025100684
January 20267551
February 20261541
March 20261671
April 20261831
May 20262821
June 20264820
July 202641001
August 202651002
September 20265823

The Price Of A Click At The Top Of Google

What advertisers paid to appear at the top of the results, for the most searched query of each line, in the United Kingdom.

  • Seasonal Sales “boxing day sales”€0.29 to €1.61
  • Open Shops “shops near me”€0.04 to €2.17
  • Black Friday “black friday”€0.43 to €2.68

Source: Google Ads Keyword Planner, top of page bid, low range and high range, in euros, in the United Kingdom, retrieved on 14 October 2026 from Théo Maupilé's Google Ads account. According to Google, the range runs from the 20th to the 80th bid out of 100: about 6 bids in 10 fall between the two amounts. It is an observed range, not a price list: the price of each click is set in an auction.

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Retail & Stores · United Kingdom

Where Is Your Audience?

Your audience moves from one app to the next within the same day: they search on Google, watch YouTube, browse Discover and Gmail, scroll Instagram and Facebook, ask ChatGPT for advice. Tap an app to see where your ad meets them, and what the ad platforms measure in your industry.

  1. SearchingGoogle · Maps · Shopping
  2. WatchingYouTube
  3. DiscoveringDiscover · Gmail · Web
  4. ScrollingFacebook · Instagram
  5. AskingChatGPT

Searchinggoogle.com · Google app

Google

They type their need in their own words. This is when intent is at its clearest: your ad answers a question they have just asked.

5,400searches a month for “january sales”, in the UK

Searches a month in your industry, in the UK

“january sales”5,400
“shops open today”6,600
“black friday”165,000

Source: Google Keyword Planner, searches in the United Kingdom, in English, monthly average from October 2025 to September 2026, estimated and rounded by Google, pulled on 14 October 2026.

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Google Search results
  • Google Images
  • Google Maps and the Maps app

Source: Google Ads Help, where Search ads can appear, read on 16 October 2026.

Get Found On Google

SearchingGoogle Maps · Maps app

Google MapsSearching Nearby

They look for a place near them and compare options on the map. Your ad shows your address and phone number, beside, above or below the search results.

4 networkswhere location assets can show your address: the Search Network, the Display Network, YouTube and Google Maps

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Search results on Google Maps
  • Maps app
  • Search Network, with your address and phone number

Source: Google Ads Help, about location assets, read on 16 October 2026.

Get Found On Maps

Searchinggoogle.com · Shopping tab

Google ShoppingComparing Products

They know what they want and compare before clicking. Your product shows with its image and details, pulled from the feed you send to Merchant Center.

4placements for a Shopping campaign: the Shopping tab, Google Search, Google Images and partner websites, if your campaign includes them

In Your Industry

For retail, Google puts Shopping first: your products go through a Merchant Center feed, and the more specific that feed, the better your ads match the interests of the people searching.

Source: Google Ads Help, how Google Ads can work for your industry, read on 16 October 2026.

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Shopping tab
  • Google Search, next to search results
  • Google Images
  • Google Search Partner websites

Source: Google Ads Help, about Shopping ads, read on 16 October 2026.

Sell On Google Shopping

Watchingyoutube.com · YouTube app

YouTube

They watch a video they chose. Your ad plays before or during that video, or shows up in their suggestions: your brand gets known before the need is put into words.

6 sthe bumper format: a short message your audience sees in full

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Before or during a video (in-stream)
  • Home feed, search and suggestions (in-feed)
  • YouTube Shorts
  • 6-second bumper

Source: Google Ads Help, video ad formats, read on 16 October 2026.

Get Seen On YouTube

DiscoveringGoogle app · Discover feed

Discover

They browse the feed of articles and videos the Google app suggests. Your ad slips in as one card among the others: they discover your offer before they even look for it.

3 feedsa single Demand Gen campaign places your ad in Discover, in Gmail and in YouTube’s feeds

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Discover feed
  • Gmail inbox
  • YouTube home and “What to watch next”

Source: Google Ads Help, campaign types, read on 16 October 2026.

Show Up In Discover

Discoveringgmail.com · Gmail app

GmailReading Emails

They open their inbox. Your ad shows among their messages, with your brand as the sender and your offer as the subject.

4Google Ads campaign types can place your ad in Gmail: Display, Shopping, Demand Gen and Performance Max

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Gmail inbox

Source: Google Ads Help, campaign types, read on 16 October 2026.

Show Up In Gmail

Discoveringmillions of websites and apps

Websites and appsReading An Article

They read an article or use an app. Your banner shows next to the content: your brand stays top of mind, and people who already visited your site see you again.

Millionsof websites and apps where a Display campaign can show your ad, on top of YouTube

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Websites
  • Mobile apps
  • YouTube

Source: Google Ads Help, create a Display campaign, read on 16 October 2026.

Stay Visible Across The Web

Scrollingfacebook.com · Facebook app

FacebookCatching Up

They catch up with friends, groups and their local area. Your ad slots into that feed, or into Marketplace when they look for something nearby.

35.2 to 41.5 millionpeople aged 18 and over reachable in the UK on Facebook

The whole country’s audience, platform by platform

Instagram31.1 to 36.6 million
Facebook35.2 to 41.5 million

Source: Meta, audience size estimate from the Marketing API, one platform at a time (reach optimisation), aged 18 and over, United Kingdom, pulled on 16 October 2026. A Meta estimate, best read as an order of magnitude.

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Feed
  • Stories
  • Marketplace
  • Video feed
  • Search results

Source: Meta, Marketing API, placement targeting, read on 16 October 2026.

Get Seen On Facebook

Scrollinginstagram.com · Instagram app

Instagram

They scroll their feed, stories and reels to unwind. The image takes the first step: your offer gets discovered here, and people who already visited your site find you again.

31.1 to 36.6 millionpeople aged 18 and over reachable in the UK on Instagram

The whole country’s audience, platform by platform

Instagram31.1 to 36.6 million
Facebook35.2 to 41.5 million

Source: Meta, audience size estimate from the Marketing API, one platform at a time (reach optimisation), aged 18 and over, United Kingdom, pulled on 16 October 2026. A Meta estimate, best read as an order of magnitude.

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Feed
  • Stories
  • Reels
  • Explore
  • Search results

Source: Meta, Marketing API, placement targeting, read on 16 October 2026.

Askingchatgpt.com · ChatGPT app

ChatGPT

They ask their question and read a full answer. The ad appears below that answer when the topic of the conversation matches what you offer: the need is already detailed, constraints included.

31European countries in the expansion announced by OpenAI, France and Spain included

Where Your Ad Appears

  • Below the answer, in the conversation

Source: OpenAI, ad platform documentation, conversation context targeting, Expansion and eligibility pulled on 1 September 2026, targeting read again on 16 October 2026.

Be Present On ChatGPT
Théo Maupilé, freelance Paid Media

Retail Marketing With Google Ads & Meta Ads

I'm Théo, a freelance Paid Media specialist with 100+ clients on Google Ads & Meta Ads. For a shop, advertising is there to bring customers into the store, then to prove it. Google can show the stock of each store and count store visits once the account has access to them. Meta can receive the sales made in store. Same standard every time: campaigns ready before each key moment, and measurement that follows the customer to the store. I work directly with you.

The 3 Paid Media Projects For Retail Stores

Each Store Has Its Own Area

Your customers come from your catchment area, and each store has its own, with its competitors and its opening hours. I set up campaigns store by store, so the budget goes where customers can actually come. On Meta, each store gets its own radius around its address, from 1 to 80 kilometres.

Accurate Reference Prices

In France, every price reduction ad shows the previous price, the lowest one used in the last 30 days (Consumer Code, Article L112-1-1). In Spain, a reduced item shows its previous price next to the new one, with the same 30-day rule (Law 7/1996, Article 20).

The Sale Happens At The Till

Your customer sees the ad on their phone, then pays in the store. So measurement follows that path, from the click to the till: direction clicks, calls, store visits, and till sales when they can be sent back.

The Method, Applied To Retail Stores

  1. 1

    Catchment Area Audit

    The area of each store, local competition, your sales calendar and key moments: what each store can attract.

  2. 2

    Your Stock Visible On Google

    Your products sent to Merchant Center with their availability and price store by store, for local inventory ads.

  3. 3

    The Retail Calendar

    Google Search and Performance Max for people searching nearby, Meta to announce new arrivals and sales in your area, each key moment prepared a few weeks ahead.

  4. 4

    Measurement Up To The Till

    Directions and calls first, then store visits and till sales once your account has access, with a per-store report so the budget follows the stores that sell.

Frequently Asked Questions About Retail Marketing

When To Launch Campaigns For The Sales?

Before the peak: the calendar above shows that in the UK, sales are searched most in December. In France, sales run in two periods a year, of three to six weeks each, on dates set by ministerial order (Commercial Code, Article L310-3). In Spain, each retailer chooses its sales periods and how long they last (Law 7/1996, Article 25). I recommend preparing the ads a few weeks ahead, so they are ready on the first day.

How Do You Measure A Sale Made In Store?

Step by step. Google Ads can count direction clicks and calls as conversions. Store visits come next, once your account has access to them. They are estimates based on aggregated, anonymous data, and they require locations verified in your Business Profile, active location assets in your campaigns, and enough clicks and foot traffic to pass Google's privacy thresholds. The more stores a chain has, the more likely its account is to get there. On Meta, the Conversions API accepts sales made in a physical store. I prefer to start from what you can already measure, then add one step at a time.

Can My In-Store Stock Show On Google?

Yes, with local inventory ads in Merchant Center. Your Business Profile is linked to your Merchant Center account, then each product is sent with the store code, its availability, and its price when it changes from one store to another. If your website does not show your in-store stock, Google can show it on a page it hosts for your store. Someone looking for a product nearby then sees whether it is on your shelves.

What Happens After You Click

  1. 1

    7 Questions

    A short form: your website, your budget, your goal. Two minutes is all it takes.

  2. 2

    A 20-Min Call

    You walk me through what has already been done, your goals and your challenges. Then we look at how we can work together.

  3. 3

    Your Access And My Onboarding

    You give me access to your accounts, and I send you my onboarding document to go into the detail of your business, your market and your positioning.

  4. 4

    Building Your Strategy

    We start building your strategy from everything you have shared with me.

  5. 5

    Our Day-To-Day Communication

    I adapt to your team's tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail or Google Chat for the roadmap and project follow-up. WhatsApp is kept for urgent requests.

    • Slack
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    • Gmail
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    • WhatsApp

Let's Talk About Your Retail Business

You walk me through what has already been done, your goals and your challenges. Then we look at how we can work together.

Fill My Store
  • 20 minutes
  • No strings attached
  • Reply within 24h
Google PartnerSuperMalter (top 10%)61 five-star reviews on Malt and LinkedIn100+ clients
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