Retail media has exploded this year as more brands look to advertise to customers while they shop in-store and online.
And with retail media spend forecast to hit £121.1bnbefore the end of the year, it’s no wonder a raft of retailers have been investing in their networks of late.
Retail Gazette looks at the retailers that have strengthened their offerings to further target shoppers.
Tesco
Tesco cemented itself as a leader in retail media back in May when it wrapped its entire London Wembley store in branded advertising.
The UK’s biggest grocer partnered with UEFA Champions League sponsor PepsiCo for a head-to-toe store wrap and store activations promoting the group’s three major brands: Pepsi, Doritos and Walkers.
The supermarket boosted its retail media network again last month when it unveiled a new partnership with the world’s biggest media-buying business GroupM.
The tie-up will cover the grocer’s on-site, off-site, and connected store offerings, including an agency-first in-store screen partnership.
Tesco media and insight platform client development director Nick Ashley said: “This is a major landmark for us in developing a large-scale strategic partnership with one of the world’s leading networks, representing so many exciting brands.
“Through the arrangements, GroupM will benefit in numerous key areas in retail media across data, insights, and strategic planning, which will enable its clients to truly harness the power of retail media – in all its forms – for measurable commercial advantage.”
The grocery giant also joined forces with Vauxhall back in February for a new partnership, which saw the car giant’s branding displayed at the supermarket’s 2,700 EV charging bays across 619 stores nationwide.
Asda
Asda joined its competitors when it launched its own retail media business unit LS Eleven Media Services, in partnership with SMG, back in May.
The retailer had previously operated Asda Media Partnerships but Asda VP of customer Matt McLennan said the tie up with SMG was “a step-change in our media offering for our brand partners”.
The supermarket chain said the unit, which was introduced to major suppliers earlier in the year, would use the first-party customer data from its loyalty programme to offer brands more “customer-centric media planning” for its retail media campaigns, as well as a “more connected omnichannel experience”.
Recent examples of LS Eleven Media Services’ activations in Asda stores include a Budweiser beer hologram as part of its ‘Out of this League’ campaign and interactive play tables to mark the 25th Anniversary of Lego Star Wars.
McLellan said: “Asda has a clear strategy for growth and the combination of our growing proposition across large stores, convenience and food partnerships, alongside our leading rewards programme, offers us an incredibly exciting opportunity to work with brands to deliver even more relevant campaigns for our customers.”
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s launched a branded shops concept on its website in March, powered by its Nectar360 ecommerce media platform and retail media provider CitrusAd, to allow clients to build custom pages online to help increase brand engagement and encourage additional sales.
The offering, which creates a ‘shop-in-shop’ experience that gives customers access to all of a brand’s products on one page, can be launched in 10 days and include up to 100 product listings.
Most recently, Sainsbury’s announced Nectar360 was introducing training for executives and advertising agencies on how to make the most of its retail media platform.
Under a new partnership with the Alliance of Independent Agencies, staff members are offering courses and training to over 100 of its members.
Nectar360 director of digital media Alice Anson said: “For all the buzz and excitement around retail media, there is a broader lack of understanding of what it is and what it can deliver.
“The partnership will enable us to enlighten Alliance members through webinars and other exclusive content so they can start putting the power of retail media to work for their clients.”
Currys
Currys unveiled its new retail media network, Currys Connected Media, in December, in efforts to boost its advertising sales.
The network, which is built on solutions from Currys’ tech partners including Circana, Epsilon, and Criteo, uses first-party customer data to better understand what customers will be shopping for and when.
Within its retail media division, Currys Tech Insights platform then transforms the first-party customer data into actionable insights for the retailer and its brand partners.
This month, Currys Connected Media launched connected TV (CTV) advertising, under a new partnership with Barcelona based technology firm Titan OS, allowing brands to reach shoppers on hundreds of thousands of Philips and JVC connected TVs across the UK and Nordics, targetting viewers with ad formats including homepage banners and instream ads.
Currys explained Titan OS intuitively shows users how to get to their must-watch shows, regardless of their streaming platform, in a bid to help viewers spend less time searching for content.
Co-op
Co-op revealed that its convenience retail media has produced an “immediate positive” sales impact across both its stores and surrounding grocery shops at MAD//Fest London last month.
In some cases, its initiatives can lead to longer term incremental sales uplifts of up to four times the amount of the immediate sales.
The chain launched the UK’s first convenience retail media network in January, which combines the grocer’s in-house team and long-term agency partner Threefold under one identity, and enables brands to “strategically connect” their products to shoppers via offsite digital media channels.
This means that under the Co-op Media Network, brands can focus their advertising spend on shoppers more likely to be interested in buying their products or services.
Co-op chief membership and customer officer Kenyatte Nelson described the launch as a “momentous move” for the business, adding it will “solidify our position in the retail media sector”.
It has launched a football inspired game celebrating the Euros with Coca-Cola on the Co-op app, a “spin to win” competition with Tropicana, and a spinning wheel of fortune with Costa Coffee.
Morrisons
Morrisons rolled out a host of new media opportunities back in April to add to its retail media offer.
The retailer brought digital screens to more than 300 of its Market Street food counters, allowing brands to promote products that complement the counter range and interact with shoppers in an area of the store where its products are not stocked.
Morrisons is also currently trialling ‘My Points Boosters”’ a new feature in its More Card app which offers shoppers hyper-personalised challenges based on their shopping patterns, marking a first in the UK grocery market.
Additionally, the grocer introduced a trolley advertising network, as well as personalised Facebook and Instagram adverts using the brand’s first-party data asset.
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