Through a results-driven paid media innovation, Redefine Web transformed Topps Tiles’ search presence during a highly competitive post-pandemic retail landscape. By implementing a structured test-and-learn approach, we optimized campaigns to limit channel cannibalization, expanded audience reach with dynamic search feeds, and maximized product visibility via inventory-led strategies. The result was 5,465 new visitors, over 1.3M impressions, a 7% boost in CTR, a 3% YoY traffic increase despite stores reopening, maintained ROAS, and secured one-third of all unique visitors in their market.
Topps Tiles is the UK’s number one tile specialist, a trusted retailer offering an unrivaled selection of tiles for home improvement and renovation projects. With hundreds of stores nationwide and a growing online presence, Topps Tiles caters to DIY homeowners and professional tradespeople alike. The pandemic rapidly shifted consumer buying behaviors, forcing even traditional home improvement retailers to prioritize their digital channels. While Topps had strong brand presence offline, they needed to ramp up and innovate within paid media to retain market leadership in an increasingly competitive ecommerce environment. Redefine Web partnered with Topps Tiles to develop and execute a structured, test-focused paid media plan that would preserve their market edge, attract new visitors, and sustain digital growth through a challenging transitional period for retail.
When Topps Tiles partnered with Redefine Web, the paid media space was more competitive than ever due to pandemic-driven digital growth. As stores reopened, they needed ecommerce to stay strong while avoiding over-reliance on paid search.
A key challenge was campaign cannibalization, where paid search overlapped with other channels, wasting spend. At the same time, consumer shifts back to physical shopping threatened online traffic, making year-on-year growth difficult.
Topps also set ambitious goals — driving more unique visitors and capturing at least one-third of all unique searchers by the end of 2021. This required both effective execution and innovative audience testing to attract high-intent prospects.
All of this had to be balanced with profitability, maintaining ROAS targets while competing against large retailers, online-first rivals, and major marketplaces. Without adapting, Topps risked inefficiencies, higher costs, and losing ecommerce share at a critical moment.
Redefine Web introduced a continuous test-and-learn strategy, running one structured test every two months across a six-month period to drive innovation, efficiency, and audience growth.
We began by assessing potential cannibalization between Topps’ paid media and other channels, implementing a statistically robust test that clarified engagement overlaps and minimized wasted spend. From there, we expanded audience reach to new segments, launching dynamic search feeds that allowed greater coverage of broad search terms while tailored ad copy improved relevance and click performance.
Using insights from our earlier reports, we developed inventory-driven campaigns designed to maximize visibility of high-demand products directly in search results — ensuring precision in matching search intent with timely product availability. Each initiative was built around actionable data, audience expansion, and targeted visibility, ensuring Topps could grow without sacrificing return on ad spend.
Key steps included:
Through constant innovation, Topps Tiles secured stronger visibility and measurable growth in visitor acquisition. Our structured paid media optimization added new audiences, boosted CTR, and increased traffic despite in-store competition. Ultimately, we preserved profitability while enabling Topps to secure 33% of the market share earlier than planned.
Kyle Vine
Brandon Smith
Benjamin Sänger
Myles Scolnick
Peter Dolenc
Francis Strutt
