Skip to main content

News Briefs

  • 6/24/2025

    Costco, Shipt, Albertsons Adopt Auction-Based Display Ad Tech

    criteo

    Criteo has launched its Auction-Based Display technology to modernize how retailers and brands activate display advertising within retail media networks. The solution is already being used by retail partners Costco and Shipt, with Albertsons Media Collective slated to come on board soon.

    The launch is designed to give retailers more flexibility and monetization options by introducing programmatic, auction-based buying alongside existing reservation-based display deals. The solution allows retailers to offer biddable ad inventory that can better reflect real-time category dynamics and seasonal demand — elements that are particularly important in commerce-driven environments.

    “Display advertising is a proven retail media format, but the needs of advertisers and retailers are evolving,” Melanie Zimmermann, general manager of global retail media at Criteo, said in a media release. “Our new auction-based offering is modernizing display technology — creating a flexible, automated solution that's tailored to the retail environment.”

    According to Criteo, auction-based display ads offer more control over ad relevancy, improved yield for premium placements and broader access to national media budgets for retail media networks. Retailers can pair this with their fixed-price placements to capture a wider range of brand demand while delivering more timely and personalized ad experiences to shoppers.

    Advertisers, meanwhile, can gain access to standardized measurement and streamlined campaign management across sponsored products, display and video ads within a single platform — helping them optimize multi-retailer campaigns more efficiently.

    The solution is now available to retailers globally.

  • 6/10/2025

    Lyft Bolsters Ad Transparency, Performance Measurement

    lyft x doubleverify

    Lyft is enhancing its in-app advertising platform through a partnership with DoubleVerify (DV), a media verification provider, to give brand advertisers deeper transparency, performance insights and fraud protection across its ad inventory.

    As the rideshare company continues to grow its advertising business, the integration with DV brings media quality measurement to Lyft’s platform, helping marketers better evaluate the effectiveness of their in-app campaigns.

    The partnership will leverage DV’s technology via the Open Measurement SDK, initially rolling out across Lyft ads in North America. The Open Measurement SDK is an industry-standard framework developed by the IAB Tech Lab, Google, DoubleVerify and others to enable third-party ad viewability and verification across web, mobile apps and connected TV (CTV).

    Also Read: Lyft Launches Programmatic In-App Ads

    Advertisers will gain access to DV’s suite of post-bid verification capabilities, including:

    • Viewability Authentication: Offers clarity into whether an ad has been seen and helps assess its impact.
    • Fraud Verification: Detects invalid traffic (IVT) and prevents ads from being served to bots or compromised devices.
    • In-Geo Alignment: Ensures ads are delivered in the intended geographic location.
    • Attention Measurement: Uses DV’s Authentic Attention to deliver near real-time data on how users engage with ads.
    • Brand Suitability: Verifies that ads appear in appropriate and brand-safe environments.

    “As marketers expand their investments in high-impact, in-app environments, transparency and trust are critical,” Mark Zagorski, CEO, DV, said in a media release. “Our partnership with Lyft helps ensure that advertisers can measure quality, and drive performance with confidence.”

    Advertisers will be able to monitor ad campaign quality and performance via DV Pinnacle, DoubleVerify’s unified analytics and reporting platform.

    The companies expect the integration to go live within the coming weeks.

  • 6/9/2025

    Harvest Group Acquires Costco Brokerage Firm

    costco

    Commerce agency Harvest Group has acquired Next Step Club Solutions, a boutique brokerage firm specializing in Costco Wholesale

    Announced on June 3, the acquisition strengthens Harvest Group's capabilities in the club retail channel, expands its national footprint and deepens its relationships with Costco buyers. Founded in 2019 by Steve Freeman, Next Step has carved out a niche as a “concierge broker,” guiding brands from early product concepts to national Costco rollouts, per a media release.

    "[Freeman] and his team at Next Step have built something special," Valerie Corniel, VP of Costco at Harvest Group, said in the release. "They hold strong, long-standing relationships with Costco buyers nationwide and understand the nuance of operating within a club retail environment. This acquisition gives us stronger coverage across all Costco regions and brings expertise in taking brands from initial launches to national programs."

    Freeman, who brings more than 30 years of Costco-specific experience (including roles at Resource Marketing and Advantage Solutions), will join Harvest Group’s Costco team as VP alongside Corniel.

    Next Step’s track record includes supporting the development of Kirkland Signature items, turning regional tests into multi-million-dollar programs, and earning “first call” status with buyers across multiple departments. The firm provides strategic sales support, product development, program management and influencer marketing services.

    Through the acquisition, Harvest Group clients will gain:

    • Expanded Coverage across Costco regions, enabling stronger client advocacy;
    • Enhanced Expertise with leadership experienced in multiple Costco departments and categories;
    • Scalable Growth Support for brands evolving from regional rotation to national distribution;
    • Integrated Strategy opportunities to further integrate Costco initiatives into broader commerce efforts.

    "With Next Step's experience and Harvest's tremendous capabilities, we will now be able to expand our service to our existing client partners while positioning ourselves for growth with new products, new clients and innovation," Freeman added.

  • 6/4/2025

    Profitero, Mars United Launch Profitero+

    profitero+

    Publicis Groupe’s Mars United Commerce and Profitero have launched Profitero+, an integrated model for digital commerce growth. 

    The offering expands Profitero’s existing analytics capabilities into a full-service model by incorporating Mars United’s managed services to turn data insights into action. It also leverages Mars United’s global retailer expertise and the go-to-market capabilities of the Publicis Commerce network, enabling brands to unify their media, content, operations and strategy under one connected umbrella.

    “Profitero+ marks a major step forward in uniting commerce marketing intelligence and activation,” the companies revealed in a May announcement. “By combining Profitero’s global analytics with Mars United Commerce’s deep activation expertise, we’re empowering brands to adapt and win across the entire digital retail landscape, now and into the future.”

    Four core pillars make up the Profitero+ solution:

    • Commerce Media: Offers managed services across JBP negotiation and campaign planning, management, optimization and reporting/measurement. Enhanced by Profitero’s digital shelf analytics and integrations with media bidding platforms.
    • Commerce Content: Delivers end-to-end content strategy, design, production and syndication — all informed by Profitero’s content scoring and AI tools.
    • Commerce Operations: Services focused on efficiency and profitability through catalog management, SKU analysis, fulfillment strategy, brand protection and price/inventory intelligence.
    • Commerce Strategy & Insights: Provides advisory solutions to help brands improve go-to-market strategies, including product assortment, supply chain, pricing, consumer experience and organizational design.

    Profitero+ leverages collective assets that include:

    • Profitero’s digital shelf coverage of 1,400-plus retailers in 70 countries.
    • Mars United’s digital commerce specialists embedded in 15 retailer hubs worldwide.
    • Shopper intelligence drawn from Mars United’s own behavior database and Epsilon’s CoreID first-person identity platform.

    According to the companies, brands using the integrated model have seen an average 20% year-over-year improvement in commerce media performance.

    Profitero+ arrives at a time when brands are under pressure to consolidate retail data, media and operations across a fragmented ecosystem. 

  • 5/27/2025

    Koddi Partners With In-Store Marketplace to Power Cross-Channel Retail Media

    koddi ism

    Retail media tech provider Koddi is expanding its capabilities to support in-store retail media through a partnership with In-Store Marketplace (ISM).

    The integration is designed to help retailers and advertisers execute seamless, cross-channel campaigns that span both digital and physical store environments.

    Through a direct integration with ISM’s platform, Koddi now enables unified management of in-store and on-site media campaigns. The solution addresses a key challenge in retail media: managing multiple technologies and vendors to run campaigns across a retailer’s network. According to the release, the new infrastructure simplifies content and ad management across ISM’s more than 31,000 connected stores and enables better performance tracking.

    “Retail media is one of the most effective drivers of growth, and now retailers and advertisers want to extend that success into their physical stores,” Nicholas Ward, co-founder and president of Koddi, said in the release. “In-store is where most purchases still happen, yet it’s been one of the hardest environments to scale and activate. We’re investing in the infrastructure and partnering with industry leaders like ISM to remove the friction and enable retailers to run smarter, more coordinated campaigns across every part of the shopper journey.”

    The partnership also allows advertisers to track combined sales performance and brand lift across both online and in-store touchpoints. With deeper insights into campaign impact, brands can better optimize their media spend and engagement strategies.

    “This partnership brings together ISM’s deep expertise in powering in-store activations at scale,” added Paul Brenner, SVP, Global Retail Media & Partnerships at ISM. “Koddi’s advanced commerce media technology enables retailers to extend their retail media offerings in-store and elevates accessibility for the buy-side. Together, we’re helping advertisers reach shoppers who spend over $749 billion a year within our connected network.”

    Koddi also plans to expand the partnership later this summer to streamline retail media buying and offer additional flexibility to partners.

  • 5/21/2025

    Walmart Connect in Canada Has New Leader

    lesley conway

    Lesley Conway has been named head of Walmart Connect in Canada. Walmart Connect is the retail giant's advertising arm. 

    In her new role, which took effect May 5, Conway oversees the Walmart Connect business in Canada and is responsible for its strategic direction, operations and growth projects. She’s also tasked with enhancing Walmart Connect’s advertising solutions, strengthening partnerships and delivering value to clients.

    Conway has more than 25 years of experience spanning media, marketing and advertising. She previously served as CEO of Mindshare Canada, leading the agency through a transformative period.

    Conway also previously served as president of Hatch64 — a performance marketing agency — and senior vice president of sales for Bell Media.

    “I’m thrilled to join the team and be a part of Walmart Connect’s journey of connecting brands and customers in meaningful ways," Conway said in a statement shared with P2PI. “Retail is a dynamic and ever-evolving space, and I couldn’t imagine a more exciting time to step into the world of retail media. I look forward to building strong partnerships with our brand and agency partners and collaborating with our talented team to create unique solutions for customers, fostering innovation and growth.”

    Conway has held numerous positions across industry boards including the Canadian Media Director’s Council, the board of directors for the Radio Marketing Bureau, the Canadian Outdoor Bureau of Measurement and the Broadcast Bureau of Measurement’s Portable People Meter Committee.  

  • Show MoreShow More
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds