Among the grocery chains building out media platforms, Albertsons is a late entrant. It announced its own advertising business late last year and launched it in late February – after its competitors like Walmart, Kroger and Target had already set up their own shops.
Due to Albertsons’ size and its reputation as a digital innovator and fast adopter of new technologies, it’s surprising that Albertsons is lagging the competition.
This isn’t hurting Albertsons Media Collective’s ability to attract CPGs who want to spend with the retailer, said Kristi Argyilan, retail media’s senior vice president. It also has some advantages, she said, such as avoiding early growing pains retailers have had to endure and implementing cutting-edge technology into the network.
It is still early days for Albertson’s Media Collective, and the company is just beginning to get data back on its opening campaigns, which show a return for CPGs of up to $14 for every dollar spent, Argyilan said. The company is also developing new options such as self-service platforms and considering ways to expand its platform to include “non-endemic” advertisers, like car makers and travel agencies
