Ahold Delhaize Strengthens Retail Media Capabilities
Peapod Digital Labs, the digital, e-commerce and commercial engine for the brands of Ahold Delhaize USA, has expanded media partnerships and capabilities available to consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies through its AD Retail Media arm. The new capabilities enable CPGs to reach connected customers through both digital and in-store avenues.
“Over the past two years, we’ve seen a shift in how consumers shop. While we believe online demand will continue to grow, we know that customers and CPGs want to have an omnichannel experience that brings both digital and in-store elements together,” said VP, Head of E-Commerce Merchandising and AD Retail Media Bobby Watts. “As we evaluated the omnichannel experience, we saw an opportunity to strengthen our in-store capabilities to deliver a more seamless omnichannel offering to both customers of the brands we support and CPG partners.”
Expanded media partnerships include working with Catalina to create additional opportunities for the in-lane media channel, as well as digital circular personalization, and teaming with Neptune Retail Solutions (NRS) to add sign, display, shopping cart and shelf-impact ads at an additional 390 local brand stores. With this expansion, NRS’ unique suite of data-driven omnichannel tools is in place to connect with customers in more than 1,800 of Ahold Delhaize USA brands’ store locations.
“We are excited about this expansion of our shopper marketing relationship with Ahold Delhaize USA brands and look forward to helping all of their retail brands in the U.S. own and operate their in-lane channel as part of their media network,” said Kevin Hunter, chief commercial officer and head of innovation at St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Catalina. “We have very consciously been disrupting our own business model in recent years and are now operating very differently than we have in the past to become a more valued and strategic partner to our retail, CPG brand and agency customers.”
“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Ahold Delhaize USA brands and continue to support them with NRS’ unparalleled knowledge accumulated from over 30 years of best-in-class in-store omnichannel activation,” added Bill Redmond, CEO of Jersey City, N.J.-based NRS. “We are committed to identifying opportunities to innovate with their team to add value to their shopper experiences for years to come.”
The expanded retail media capabilities come at a time of unprecedented growth in the grocery industry, including 105% two-year online sales growth across Ahold Delhaize USA companies in 2020 and 2021. The company released its 2021 Annual Report earlier in the month.
“This is the best time in the history of grocery for brands to invest in retail media,” Watts added. “At AD Retail Media, we’ve worked with our partners to deploy an enhanced set of retail media offerings that will enable deeper relationships with customers in ways that complement their shopping experience.”
Last fall, AD Retail Media also celebrated one year of sponsored search through Quotient, as well as nearly 100 brand store locations offering electric vehicle- charging stations with on-screen advertising opportunities available through Volta, with additional plans to grow the number of stations significantly in 2022.
As the innovation lab for the U.S. brands Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Co., Hannaford, and Stop & Shop, Peapod Digital Labs promotes digital and e-commerce innovation, technology and experience to meet the changing needs of customers of each Ahold Delhaize USA local brand, regardless of when, where and how consumers choose to shop. Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, operates more than 2,000 stores across 23 states and is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in the United States.
