News Briefs

BJ’s Wholesale Club has added the ability to link retail media campaigns to in-club transactions, in addition to online orders, BJ’s account manager Thais de Azambuja revealed in an April 2 LinkedIn post. 

“[BJ’s Media Exchange] advertisers can holistically measure their full advertising impact and truly close the loop on their advertising investment,” she said in the post. 

BJ’s Media Exchange, which officially launched in 2022 using Microsoft's PromoteIQ platform, offers closed-loop measurement to help advertisers better understand business outcomes by matching ad exposure to a purchase. Sponsored Search ad placements are available across the retailer’s homepage, product detail pages, along with search and browse experiences. 

This time last year, BJ’s rival Sam’s Club introduced a similar capability to its Member Access Platform (MAP), which collects real-time, first-party data on customer transactions, including in-store, in-app and online. For the first time, MAP advertisers were able to see exactly what revenue is generated by which ads, including search and sponsored products campaigns. 

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. (RRD), an integrated communications and marketing company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire digital and print marketing businesses from Vericast Corp.

Vericast’s digital marketing and technology business includes: display advertising, contextual targeting, connected TV, dynamic mobile, digital out of home (DOOH), social media marketing, email marketing, local search and zero-party data capture solutions. 

The transaction also includes Vericast’s print marketing arm, including shared mail and free-standing inserts, as well as its digital and print coupon clearing business.

Tom Quinlan, president and CEO of RRD said in a statement that the addition of these digital marketing capabilities strengthens RRD’s existing portfolio — which includes marketing, packaging, print and supply chain solutions — and will move the company closer to its client promise “to enhance quality and elevate engagement across the full customer journey.” 

“The shared mail business will complement our targeted mail platform to create one of the largest [and most] sophisticated mail platforms in the U.S.,” Quinlan added.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024. 

Trion Industries, an American manufacturer of retail fixtures and merchandising equipment, has named Adam Thalenfeld (pictured at right) the third president in the company's history.

He assumes this position following the unexpected death of his father, John S. Thalenfeld, in February. John began his career at Trion in 1972, and served as president and CEO since 1986. 

The succession of family leadership by Adam and his sister Rebecca continues the traditions established by their grandfather, David "Bud" Thalenfeld, when he founded Trion in 1965, according to a media release. John was instrumental in the growth of the organization, including the company's move to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1982.

"I'm honored and excited to lead the company into the future while maintaining the strong family connection with our 250-plus employees, our great customers and our local community," Adam said in the release.

Adam is a graduate of The New School university in New York where he received a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies/Affairs and a master's degree in Urban Policy Analysis and Management. He worked as a community planning fellow for New York and for Trion as a business development manager. 

In 2020, Adam founded Bread Service PA, a bakery specializing in heritage grain sourdough breads. He also sits on the board of many local nonprofits, including Temple B’nai Brith, Family Service Association, Luzerne County Historical Society, Abide Foundation, The Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and AllOne Foundation and Charities. 

7-Eleven International (7IN) has completed its acquisition of 7-Eleven Australia, adding more than 750 stores to its portfolio. The  companies agreed to the $1.11 billion ($1.71 billion in Australian dollars) deal in November 2023. 

The companies say they identified opportunities to enhance the customer experience in the store by transforming Australia's merchandise and fuel offerings, expanding the product assortment and introducing high-quality fresh foods.

"It is about continuing to grow our store network in Australia and providing unrivaled customer experiences and quality products," Angus McKay, 7-Eleven Australia CEO and managing director, said in a media release. "My team and I are looking forward to taking advantage of 7-Eleven International's deep experience in convenience retailing with the leadership of executive chairman, Shin Abe."

7IN says the acquisition furthers Tokyo-based Seven & i Holdings Co.’s (7&i) commitment to growing globally. (7IN is a joint venture between 7-Eleven Inc. and Seven-Eleven Japan Co., which are owned by 7&i). 7&i will leverage 7-Eleven Australia's nearly 50-year business practices to enhance the 7-Eleven brand.

"We are thrilled to become one team and create stronger synergy with 7-Eleven Australia," Ken Wakabayashi, president and CEO of 7IN, added. "For nearly 50 years, the 7-Eleven Australia team has built the legacy of the brand as a top choice for convenience."

Globally, the 7-Eleven trademark is represented in over 84,000 stores in 20 countries and regions. 7IN master franchises and/or licenses roughly 48,000 stores in 16 countries and regions, including more than 15,000 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Criteo has received its first accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for display rendered impression and click advertising metrics across desktop, mobile web and mobile in-app environments.

The accreditation evaluated the commerce media company’s onsite sponsored products and onsite display ads on its enterprise retail media platforms, Commerce Max and Commerce Yield. As part of this process, Criteo was evaluated through MRC's guidelines for detecting and filtering General Invalid Traffic (GIVT), which Criteo says validates its impression and click metrics and its ability to provide advertisers with more transparency, according to a media release.

"This accreditation is a significant step forward in the maturation of retail media, and Criteo couldn't be prouder of this accomplishment," Brian Gleason, chief revenue officer at Criteo, said in the release. "An industry-grade seal of approval reinforces our ability to deliver the highest quality, most accurate measurement for our clients to advance their retail media strategies."

The accreditation also included a review of Criteo's GIVT detection for both onsite sponsored products and onsite display ads, which enables advertisers and agencies to flag certain invalid sources.

Criteo says it has spent years building a commerce media strategy for advertisers to connect with consumers throughout their shopping journey. Retail media is one of the fastest-growing sectors in advertising and is expected to garner more than $150 billion in global ad spend by 2026, according to GroupM. 

To earn MRC accreditation, an independent Certified Public Accountants (CPA) firm engaged by the MRC completed an audit of Criteo's systems and processes, which was then reviewed by an audit committee comprised of MRC member representatives, to ensure Criteo's platform meets MRC’s standards. 

GameOn Technology, an artificial intelligence chat platform better known as ON Platform, has unveiled a new strategic retail partnerships with e-commerce brands of various verticals and sizes. 

New clients include Kut from the Kloth, a premium denim brand; Business & Pleasure Co., an outdoor and lifestyle brand; and N+Bikes, a micromobility manufacturer licensed under Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One.

These partnerships highlight ON's experience with luxury and e-commerce brands, which includes engagements with fashion giants The Armani Group and Valentino, according to a media release. As ON expands its reach, it brings its conversational AI chat technology to a broader range of brands. The ON platform addresses the bulk of inbound inquiries, offering an automated AI chat experience designed to accelerate speed-to-resolution through the shopping journey.  

“Partnering with ON marks a significant milestone for Kut from the Kloth as we look to redefine the digital shopping experience," Steve Morales, head of growth at Kut from the Kloth, said in the release. “As I look to drive profitable growth and identify opportunities in the tech stack for efficiency, collaborating with ON is a crucial first step. As a leader, I always look to partner with like-minded companies that are driving innovation. ON enables us to leverage the latest in AI chat technology, ensuring that every interaction our customers have with us online is personalized and engaging in real-time.”

In addition to its three new partners, ON says it is set to launch with more retail brands later this month.

"We welcome these new retail and e-commerce partners into the ON family,” said Richard Cheng, president of ON. “Our AI experiences empower brands to save time and increase revenue, while also providing personalized and engaging interactions with their customers. As we broaden our reach, we are not just transforming the way AI is used by leading retail brands but redefining the standards of customer engagement across industries." 

Headquartered in San Francisco, the ON platform works with a slew of brands, including big names like The Armani Group and growing brands like Manolita and U Beauty, on customer service engagements. It also works with sports teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and elsewhere, assisting with brand awareness, lead nurturing, ticket purchasing and venue logistics.