Spar is launching its first retail media network, turning its stores into a new advertising channel for brand partners.
The company has extended its long-running partnership with digital signage specialist ZetaDisplay to build the network across its Central European business, with Hungary and Slovenia the first markets involved.
The rollout has begun with a pilot and is set to continue through to the end of the year.
Hundreds of new digital displays will be installed across stores, while existing screens will also be repositioned to better reflect customer journeys and shopping behaviour.
The screens will be used both for Spar’s own marketing and as advertising inventory that can be sold to supplier and brand partners, creating a new revenue stream for the retailer.
Spar will retain control over the network, including deciding which brands are permitted to advertise, while campaigns will be able to target shoppers according to factors including location and time of day.
The network will run on ZetaDisplay’s Engage Suite, which provides content scheduling, campaign management, analytics and measurement.
The technology will also be deployed across Spar Slovenia stores as part of the rollout.
ZetaDisplay said the platform will allow Spar to link its in-store screens more closely with its wider digital advertising activity, as retailers increasingly look to monetise customer traffic and first-party data through retail media.
The project follows ZetaDisplay’s acquisition of retail media technology platform retailmediatools, which enables retailers to manage advertising inventory, targeting, campaign delivery and measurement across their own channels.
ZetaDisplay key account manager Bernhard Schuch said physical stores were increasingly becoming media channels in their own right, creating additional commercial opportunities for retailers.
He said combining first-party data and audience insights with digital touchpoints could help retailers deliver more relevant advertising while generating new revenue.
ZetaDisplay’s Austrian team is leading the Spar project after working with the retailer for more than a decade on technologies including digital menu boards, deli screens, self-service ordering kiosks and employee communications.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
