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Retail Media Update: Kroger to Add Screens at 500 Stores, Walmart Names New Tech Partners and Save Mart Joins the Mix

Kroger is adding Cooler Screens' smart screens to 500 stores.
Kroger is adding Cooler Screens' smart screens to 500 stores. (Image Source: Cooler Screens)

The growth of retail media shows no sign of slowing, as established players announce new expansions and new retailers, most recently Save Mart, enter the mix. In the latest developments, Kroger is looking beyond its websites with plans to expand in-store advertising opportunities, and Walmart is teaming up with more tech partners to help brands get the most out of its retail media network.

Kroger Makes Major Push to Expand Retail Media in Stores

Kroger plans to add smart screens at 500 of its U.S. stores following a three-year pilot with Cooler Screens. The expansion will enable Kroger to widen its retail media offerings with more in-store activations, using screens throughout the store that will feature contextually relevant promotions and product information.

“We’re excited about this continued collaboration as it extends our vision for the future of retail media, offering brands another powerful marketing lever inside the store,” said Cara Pratt, SVP at Kroger Precision Marketing in a statement. “Cooler Screens shares and further enables this vision by bringing the best of digital experiences directly into our retail stores, while integrating with our 84.51° data science platform to create an engaging and valuable experience for our customers, associates and brands.” 

While retail media offerings have so far been concentrated online, Andrew Lipsman, Principal Analyst for Retail and Ecommerce at Insider Intelligence, thinks physical stores are the next big media channel — especially since 70% to 85% of sales still happen in stores, depending on the category.

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“Smart marketers are looking to run full-funnel marketing and advertising campaigns, so everything from TV and brand awareness campaigns all the way through the end of the path to purchase, which is the store — the last mile of advertising, so to say,” said Lipsman in an interview with Retail TouchPoints.

To learn more about retail media, check out our full guide here.

Walmart Adds New Partners to Help Advertisers with Creative

Walmart’s retail media platform Walmart Connect has added a set of “creative partners” to its Partner Network in order to give advertisers hands-on, insights-driven support for their Walmart ad creative.

The new additions mark an expansion of Walmart Connect’s existing tech partnership ecosystem, which already includes 19 “solution partners” to help brands automate and optimize their campaigns; “service partners” from approximately 80 agencies to help advertisers plan, buy and optimize their Walmart Connect media spend; and “technology partners” like The Trade Desk to help with “offsite” placements on platforms like Meta, Pinterest and the wider web.

“At Walmart Connect, we are focused on helping suppliers and sellers of all sizes drive growth by increasing access to self-service advertising tools,” said Diana Finster, Head of Agency and Technology Partnerships for Walmart Connect in a blog post. “Our Partner Network plays a key role to expand advertiser support, increase services and deliver access anywhere advertisers need to have it.”

One critical area where advertisers, especially smaller ones, need support is with ad creative, said Finster, which is what has led the company to include a slate of new “creative partners,” including VidmobWhyteSpyderKaizen AdIt’sRapid.ai and The Mars Agency. They will offer a range of services to brands, including item setup and detail page optimization, video creation and editing, and display content support.

Save Mart Companies Debuts Retail Media-Enabled Websites

California based grocer The Save Mart Companies (TSMC) — which operates approximately 200 stores under the Save Mart, Lucky and FoodMaxx banners— has launched a retail media network through an expanded partnership with Swiftly.

As part of the partnership, TSMC has launched new websites for all three banners that feature integrated retail media opportunities along with a range of new capabilities for shoppers, including coupon clipping, access to loyalty and rewards programs, full product browsing, store locators and more.

“The Save Mart Companies’ digital transformation journey is foundational to the company’s growth plan, including omnichannel engagement, loyalty and efficiency,” said Tamara Pattison, SVP and Chief Digital Officer at TSMC in a statement. “Not only can we provide our CPG partners greater opportunities to expand their digital relationships with our growing customer base, but we can also enable them to drive greater performance and growth with improved targeting and measurement capabilities.”

Take a deeper dive into what lies in store for the future of retail media, including in-store expansions, integrations with connected TV and more, in our recent special report. And don’t miss the chance to hear from Insider Intelligence’s Lipsman, as well as retail media executives from Dollar General, Lowe’s, Johnson & Johnson and more at the Retail Innovation Conference and Expo this June.

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