Business challenge

With ambitious expansion plans, including new locations in Brussels and Rocourt, Extra Shop partnered with BUFFL to use its ongoing brand tracker to better understand brand performance and identify which categories drive consumer interest.

How we made the difference

As part of a continuous measurement effort that started with a baseline measurement in 2022, BUFFL has repeated the brand tracker annually, with the most recent wave conducted in January 2026 to assess Extra Shop’s brand health and category appeal in the current market context. This included understanding what motivates visits, how the assortment performs against competitive offerings, and where untapped potential lies.

What we learned

Maintenance products remain the main driver of store visits, while other categories like interior decoration, seasonal goods, and beauty & care continue to support the brand’s appeal. Non‑customers find the assortment attractive and are especially drawn to maintenance and decoration products. Customers consistently highlight broad assortment and competitive prices as the brand’s key strengths, setting Extra Shop apart from competitors. Extra Shop’s guided awareness grew from 62% in 2022 to 75% in 2026, reflecting the effectiveness of ongoing brand tracking and marketing initiatives in strengthening its brand position.

How we added value

The insights from the brand tracker helped Extra Shop confirm and refine its strategic focus: the data supports a stronger positioning in the maintenance category, which consistently delivers the highest attraction for both current and potential customers. While brand awareness remains stable overall, the category trends provide a directional signal on where investments in communication, in‑store experience and assortment emphasis could deliver the most impact. 

“Thanks to our collaboration with BUFFL, we no longer just look at figures such as turnover or traffic, but we also understand why customers choose Extra Shop. The brand tracker helps us to substantiate our strategic choices and invest more specifically in the categories that really have traction. It allows us to anchor ourselves in a rapidly evolving market..” - Maxime Abbenbroek, Marketing Manager Extra Shop

Next steps

With these insights, Extra Shop can prioritize maintenance products, leverage its broad assortment and value positioning, and make more targeted growth decisions. As new stores open in Brussels, the tracker will provide fresh insights into brand perception and category preferences in a new region, while continuing to guide marketing, assortment, and pricing decisions in Wallonia. This ensures expansion and communication decisions are not one-off guesses, but part of a data-driven growth engine.

Want to explore how continuous tracking can inform your strategic decisions too? Get in touch.