News Briefs

Celigo, an integration platform as a service (iPaaS) for both IT and business users, has partnered with TikTok Shop to provide retailers with post-purchase experiences and enhanced automation and scalability on the social platform. 

TikTok Shop enables brands and creators to showcase and sell products directly on TikTok through a suite of in-app shopping touchpoints, as well as manage things like shipping, fulfillment and point of purchase. The Celigo platform uses AI and prebuilt integrations to keep “mission-critical processes” running smoothly, per a media release from the company.

Celigo said this integration, dubbed the TikTok Shop Connector by Celigo, will help retailers streamline their operations, enhance visibility and elevate the shopping experience. The solution is designed to keep data current and synced across various applications, including product data management, order management, fulfillment and accounting. 

[ALSO READ: Brands Flock to TikTok Shop Amid Platform Headwinds]

A recent independent study commissioned by Celigo found that a quarter of all consumers surveyed use TikTok to research products before they buy. With TikTok's massive reach and engagement, Celigo says retailers can tap into a vast audience of potential customers and convert them into loyal buyers.

"Celigo is thrilled to join forces with TikTok Shop to address the growing social commerce landscape," Mark Simon, vice president of strategy at Celigo, said in the release. "This partnership will empower e-commerce businesses to integrate TikTok Shop across their tech stack for enhanced automation and scalability, ultimately empowering retailers to open a powerful new sales channel as well as provide a perfect shopper experience.”

This collaboration also provides retailers with access to comprehensive insights. By leveraging automation, retailers can gain valuable intelligence about market trends, consumer behavior and product performance to inform decision-making, Celigo said.

INEO Tech Corp., the developer and operator of the INEO Media Network (a digital advertising and analytics solution for retailers), has formed partnerships with several U.S.-based advertising platforms and set up private marketplace (PMP) deals with demand-side platforms (DSPs). 

In April, INEO signed agreements with ad networks AdXcelerant and LoopTV, while the PMPs were set up with The Trade Desk and Quotient. 

AdXcelerant specializes in the placement of ad campaigns across multiple channels, including cable TV, connected TV (CTV), streaming video services delivered via the internet (over-the-top programming) and websites. LoopTV is a streaming, TV and digital signage service for businesses.

The partnerships will allow INEO’s Retail Media network to accept and display digital-out-of-home and CTV ad content from the company's partners, enhancing INEO's reach and capabilities across an expanded set of digital advertising channels/touchpoints, according to a media release.

 The PMP deals allow DSPs to send advertising directly into the INEO U.S. retail store network programmatically. 

"We are thrilled to announce these strategic partnerships, which represent a significant step forward for INEO and our clients," Kyle Hall, INEO CEO, said in the release. "The rapid progress INEO Retail Media has made since we formed the division 100 days ago is tremendous. The relationships we have forged, and the agreements we have signed, have enhanced our media business and charts a clear roadmap of increasing ad revenue with our growing base of U.S. systems."

In March, INEO released an update on its growing retail media division. Hall said in a media release at the time: 

"INEO Retail Media has made great progress in the three months since we launched the division. In less than 90 days, led by the leadership of Salim Tharani, INEO has signed representation agreements with U.S.-based specialist media firms 45:10 and All Over Media; listed INEO's U.S. store advertising inventory on the programmatic advertising providers Vistar Media, Hivestack and Broadsign; started integration with programmatic advertising provider Place Exchange, and; continued to push ahead with our own direct sales efforts. These initiatives have resulted in eight advertisers placing ad campaigns with INEO Retail Media on our U.S. store network in March to date. Furthermore, the company continues to actively sell advertising on the Canadian Liquor Store network, focusing on direct relationships to secure 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. 

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. 

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.