Dollar Tree Launches Retail Media Network
Dollar Tree is joining Kroger, Walmart and other food retailers hopping on the retail media network train.
Dollar Tree's new media network, called Chesapeake Media Group, will allow brands to engage with their customers in a personalized and ultra-targeted digital experience. According to the company, the key benefit, backed by insight and analytics, offers brands the ability to instantly connect with shoppers, contributing to purchase decisions in real time.
“Brands will be able to directly reach millions of families across America through a variety of digital options made possible through our newly-formed retail media network, Chesapeake Media Group, powered by Swiftly and Aki,” said Richard McNeely, enterprise chief merchandising officer. “We are excited to provide our CPG Brand partners with an efficient, one-stop-shop to instantly engage with their customers through an innovative, tailored approach.”
The company’s Family Dollar brand also announced partnerships with Swiftly and Aki Technologies to support the new digital platform, which offers consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand partners fully-managed services through ad placements on the refreshed Family Dollar mobile app and FamilyDollar.com.
“We are excited that our technology platform is helping to power Chesapeake Media Group, enabling Family Dollar to create new and meaningful ways to connect leading brands with millions of shoppers across its nearly 7,900 stores and digital properties to drive measurable sales results both in-store and online," said Sean Turner, co-founder and CTO of Swiftly Systems. "The launch of Chesapeake Media Group is a great example of a brick and mortar retailer leveraging their own retail media network to unlock new forms of digital ad revenue to drive sales."
With approximately 14 million users registered in the Family Dollar Smart Coupons program, nearly 7,900 Family Dollar stores across the U.S. and plans to open hundreds of new stores annually, the company says it's focused on leveraging its assets to deliver great values for shoppers. In a fast-growing, multi-billion dollar CPG engagement space, Chesapeake Media Group will aim to offer a unique experience for CPG brand partners to leverage dynamic ad placements, targeted content, sponsored searches and product recommendations.
As part of this offering, the Chesapeake Media Group provides full-funnel solutions and closed-loop reporting. Key strategies include promoted items, category takeovers, brand experiences, premium advertisements and coupon placements, personalized videos, static interstitial advertisements, expandable rich media and standard banners, along with analytics that optimize performance to maximize results.
“Family Dollar stands out among retailers for its deep commitment to suppliers and customers – resulting in tremendous growth in 2020,” said Scott Swanson, Aki Technologies CEO. “They clearly understand the challenges that marketers face in today’s landscape – that it takes exceptional, personalized advertising to cut through the noise and activate consumers. We could not be more excited to empower their suppliers with our unique approach to personalized advertising."
Dollar Tree recently named a new EVP, merchandising and supply chain: Alasdair James, who will be responsible for merchandising, global sourcing, marketing, inventory management and logistics for the company, reporting to Michael Witynski, president and CEO.
“I am very pleased to announce that Alasdair James has joined Dollar Tree as EVP, merchandising and supply chain,” said Witynski. “Alasdair is a proven retail leader with many years of global consumer goods experience, in the U.S., China and the United Kingdom. This new position strengthens our executive team in key areas of the business, as we continue to grow as a unified company with two strong brands. We will continue to maintain our customer-centric focus while developing initiatives to improve productivity and efficiencies.”
James was previously CEO of Fort Worth, Texas-based Pier 1 Imports Inc. after having been president of Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based Kmart Corp. for several years. He has also held global retail leadership roles, including chief customer officer global brands for Tesco plc, a U.K.-based groceries and general merchandising retailer with $72 billion in annual revenue, and as EVP and chief merchant for Tesco China. Other relevant industry experience includes management roles at GlaxoSmithKline plc and Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo Inc.
Last week, Dollar Tree revealed its plan of hiring thousands of full- and part-time associates at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores and distribution centers across the United States as another part of its strategy to support its growth plans.
Chesapeake, Virginia-based Dollar Tree, operating 15,685 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces, is No. 30 on The PG 2020, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
