H-E-B Adds Self-Service Option to Retail Media Network
Texas grocer H-E-B, known for its in-store experiences and tech-enabled curbside service, is once again bridging its unique propositions and technological capabilities. This month, the fast-growing retailer revealed that it's launching self-service capabilities in its retail media network (RMN).
The H-E-B retail media team partnered with solution provider Epsilon to offer the new feature to brand partners looking for more flexibility. Advertisers can access campaign management through the heb.com website and the My H-E-B app.
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“We launched our retail media network five years ago. We heard from our brand partners that they were interested in self-service,” Sean Ransenberg, managing director and GM at H-E-B Retail Media, told Progressive Grocer in a recent interview. “Brands of all sizes can invest in H-E-B and get a return on their ad spend.”
As an innovative regional grocer, H-E-B has its own slant on retail media. “H-E-B is the unsung hero of retail media. The things they are doing are leading edge and, I feel, they are the ones leading the pack for a lot of the evolution of retail media here in the U.S. and abroad,” said Adam Skinner, managing director of unified retail media at Irving, Tex.-based Epsilon, which began working with H-E-B on retail media initiatives in 2022.
The addition of the self-service option widens and links H-E-B’s supplier network for a more robust, relevant offering. “It’s the connection of these worlds coming together – the open-web world, where you can find new and unique customers to bring into the store or the online presence, and then using retail media technology to convert that customer. H-E-B does a good job of holistically doing that from an omnichannel perspective,” Skinner observed.
H-E-B’s enhanced RMN also amplifies the many local brands for which the retailer is known. “We focus on supporting brands of all kinds, including Texas brands,” said Ransenberg.
Added Skinner: “Many other companies with retail media networks are focused around national brands, and from H-E-B’s perspective, they have those national brands but are also very focused on building Texas brands. This helps those brands get into retail media.”
Local and national brands alike can leverage the latest self-service feature to optimize their campaigns and reach. “H-E-B has enough maturity [in its RMN] that they can hand some of the functionality off to self-service,” Skinner said, adding that self-service is an increasingly popular option. “I think the future will be around self-service. There will also be mechanism for what I call ‘long-tail’, because some brands will still need to have a managed service,” he noted.
As with other RMNs, measurement is crucial. “Measurement is part of every conversation with brands that we have,” affirmed Ransenberg.
H-E-B Retail Media, the in-house retail media network of H-E-B, connects brands with morethan 8 million households weekly through authentic, data-driven campaigns online and in-store.
San Antonio-based H-E-B operates 435-plus stores in Texas and Mexico under the H-E-B, Joe V’s Smart Shop, Central Market and Mi Tienda banners. Additionally, the multi-format retailer operates Favor Delivery, an on-demand delivery service that serves hundreds of communities throughout the Lone Star State. The company is No. 13 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2025 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
