Wakefern's New Sponsored Listings Boost Brands' Ecommerce Exposure

Wakefern Food Corp., the nation’s largest retailer-owned cooperative, now offers brands the ability to raise exposure of their products available through the company’s ecommerce operations via sponsored listings.

Made possible in partnership with MyWebGrocer (MWG), the sponsored listings' digital merchandising capability now allows brands and their agency partners to invest from performance-based marketing budgets to boost product visibility when shoppers are searching.

Wakefern isn’t the only grocer to team with MyWebGrocer for sponsored listings in recent months. In May, Albertsons’ United Supermarkets division teamed with the Winooski, Vt.-based grocery technology company to upgrade the retailer's ecommerce platform, which now includes sponsored listings and category header ads, two solutions that support enhanced merchandising, and collaboration between United and its CPG partners.

Last week, Wakefern named Erik Keptner SVP of marketing, in which capacity he oversees digital commerce and analytics, advertising, and corporate merchandising, among other areas.

Keasby, N.J.-based Wakefern's members own and operate 350 independent grocery stores under the ShopRite, The Fresh Grocer, Price Rite and Dearborn Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Virginia. Together with its member companies, Wakefern, No. 7 in Progressive Grocer's Super 50 ranking of the top grocers in the United States, employs more than 70,000 people.