10 Ways to Reach New Retail Audiences & Customers (2026)

You’ve identified your target audience. You’ve tailored marketing messages to them and hit all your sales goals. But now you want to reach new audiences and tap into new customer bases.

In 2026, that often means meeting shoppers where they discover products today—through short-form video (like TikTok and Reels), creator partnerships, and local search results (including Google Business Profile and “near me” queries). It can also mean expanding beyond a single channel, so customers can find you In-Store, on marketplaces, and across social and search.

Maybe your current customer base has hit a wall with spending, or external factors have made your products undesirable to a specific segment. And if you want to scale your retail business, growing your customer base is one major key to success.

There are plenty of creative ways to tap into new audiences and grow your customer base. From creative social advertising techniques to simple referral programs, here are 10 ideas on how you can reach new customers.

Proximity Marketing

Proximity marketing is another term for hyperlocal marketing. It essentially works by using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and/or beacon technology to send messages to mobile device users within close proximity to your business. This allows you to send targeted messages to consumers who are nearby.

It’s an effective form of reaching new audiences — nearly three-quarters of shoppers would be more likely to purchase from you after receiving content from your brand via beacon technology. And though it seems high-tech, it’s not as difficult or expensive as it seems to implement. To get started, choose a beacon vendor, place beacons near key store zones (like entrances, end caps, and checkout), and connect campaigns to your POS/CRM, so you can measure redemptions and repeat visits. Beacon hardware is relatively inexpensive (often tens of dollars per device), plus setup and software costs.

Sponsor an Event

Event sponsorship is another tactic to get in front of new audiences. Host the event at your space, or get involved with an event happening elsewhere. Consider the attendees of the event, and whether or not they’re consumers likely to make a purchase from your brand. There are also varying fees associated with each event.

If you sell kids’ toys, consider sponsoring something like a family fun run, a children’s read-a-thon, or a play put on by the kids. Many bars and restaurants sponsor adult sports leagues, such as Greensboro, North Carolina’s Stumble Stilskins. At the end of the season, they throw a party for the league with free or discounted food and drink. They’ve also sponsored events in local apartment complexes that house a lot of young professionals, a key demographic for downtown sports bars.

FURTHER READING: Learn more about how retailer-sponsored events can increase sales.

Sell at Events

You don’t have to sponsor events to participate in them. You can also find markets, fairs, festivals, and other events where you can sell your products. Look for opportunities via local event calendars, your chamber of commerce, Eventbrite, and Facebook Events; and also check your local newspaper for ads and announcements.

FURTHER READING: Start successfully selling offline with our guide to nailing the In-Person selling experience.

Image: Ice Shaker

Former NFL player Chris Gronkowski spread the word about his online business by attending industry events. He took his Ice Shaker product line of protein drink shakers and cups on the road to fitness expos across the country. “These fitness expos put us on the map,” Gronkowski says — and it helped them sell more than $85,000 in products in their first six months.

Brand Collaborations

Image: thisopenspace

Partnering with another brand puts you in front of their customers, and vice versa. These collaborations can take many forms, from the simple social media giveaway to launching an exclusive product line.

FURTHER READING: Learn more about co-marketing and strategic partnerships to take your brand collaborations to the next level.

Toronto’s Sleepover by thisopenspace has partnered with a long list of small brands and artisans. They also collaborate with said brands on events and drawing new customers to the other brands on display at the Pop-Up space.

More Targeted Ads

Social advertising has become more than a way to get an upper hand—it’s now arguably essential to invest some budget behind paid social ads. The same goes for advertising on Google.

But your existing audiences may have already converted from your latest campaign, or they could be getting tired of seeing the same messaging, rendering your efforts ineffective.

Facebook lookalike audiences allow you to find groups of users with similar characteristics to other ad groups you’ve already created. Similar-audience modeling is now available across major ad platforms—such as Meta’s Advantage audience options and Google Ads audience expansion/optimized targeting—so follow each platform’s current audience tools, consent requirements, and privacy policies when building and activating these segments.

There are a number of ways to create these new audience groups, including video viewers, email addresses, website traffic, and your Facebook fans. Facebook has a library of case studies that you can check out for more inspiration and ideas.

FURTHER READING: Ready to get started with Facebook ads? Learn how to use Facebook marketing to get the most bang for your budget.

Plug Into an Existing Community

The idea of jumping into an already-established community might seem vague, and it is. This can take many forms:

• Influencer marketing: By engaging influencers, you’re tapping into their community of loyal followers and fans. This also provides immediate social proof, and an “in” into their community.
• Facebook groups: While starting your own Facebook group can be a great way to generate sales, participating in an existing one can introduce you to new potential customers. Karen Kawallek, owner of Lake Providence Lodge Scented Wax Melts, has joined and run giveaways in Facebook groups — a tactic that has generated loads of new loyal customers.
• The press: Find your local business reporters and pitch them to cover your business. Make sure that your ideas are newsworthy and clearly demonstrate how you’re contributing to the stimulation of the local economy. This can promote your brand in a new outlet to an entirely new audience — and it’s free.
• Become a community space: Offering to host community gatherings in your store can give new shoppers a reason to visit your store. Whether it’s a book club, drum circle, or group of yogis, providing a safe space can also build trust with these new potential buyers.

Distribute to Other Retailers

Going wholesale is one way to expand your network of customers — especially if you’re a small online business not ready to open your own brick and mortar. The Giving Manger is a retail company that only has one product, but they’ve managed to gain national recognition. The online retailer distributes to brick-and-mortar stores across the United States.

FURTHER READING: Not sure how to tackle wholesale? Read our wholesale guide to learn the ins and outs of selling in bulk.

Start Selling Online

Though In-Store purchases still outweigh ecommerce, an online presence is proven to be beneficial in reaching new audiences and generating more sales. Selling across multiple channels can help you reach customers wherever they prefer to shop, while reducing reliance on any single platform.

Consider opening your own online store to reach a wider audience. Selling on third-party marketplaces showcases your brand to new online consumers, too. Amazon reported more than 300 million active customer accounts worldwide, eBay reported about 134 million active buyers (2025), and Etsy reported 86.6 million active buyers (as of Q3 2025).

Referral Program

84% of global respondents said recommendations from friends and family were the most trustworthy (Nielsen, 2013). This is known as word-of-mouth marketing, a conversation you can affect with a referral program—and recommendations from people customers know can significantly increase purchase intent.

Implementing a referral program harnesses the power and trust in peer recommendations, plus it offers an opportunity for you to give back to your most loyal advocates. The friends and family in your current customers’ networks may not have been exposed to your brand previously, and being introduced by a trusted connection will make it easier for you to close the deal.

Here are seven referral marketing tactics to get started, plus a list of easy-to-implement referral ideas, too.

Get Your Staff Involved

Along the idea of referral marketing, you can leverage your staff in a similar manner. Your sales associates, in particular, have the most intimate knowledge of your ideal customers’ needs — so they’ll know how best to reach new customers with similar needs.

There are several ways to turn employees into brand ambassadors. They can post about your brand on their social media channels, make In-Person connections, or reach out to potential customers in communities they belong to. Consider incentivizing the deal to further encourage your employees to spread the word with bonuses, additional days off, or other tangible benefits.

FURTHER READING: Hiring the right employees can make or break your business. Learn how to find and hire retail employees who can help your business and bottom line grow.

Moving Forward With Reaching New Audiences

The months ahead offer a wealth of opportunities for retailers eager to find new customers and build their audience. Increasing your reach is a great way to increase your bottom line.

Which creative tactics have you used to get in front of new audiences? What has been most effective in your retail business?