Macy's Updates Media Network Technology
Macy’s Inc. is updating the technology foundation behind its retailer media network as it looks to make the platform more flexible for advertisers while maintaining control over the shopper experience.
The department store operator has selected Pentaleap to support the latest iteration of the Macy’s Media Network, using the retail media technology provider’s ad server and mediation technology to enable sponsored product placements across its digital properties. The move aims to expand how brands can access Macy’s retail media inventory while improving ad relevance for shoppers.
According to Pentaleap, its platform allows Macy’s to serve more relevant online ads to shoppers while enabling brands to buy sponsored product placements across multiple ad tech platforms where they already manage retail media investments.
The approach blends direct sales with more programmatic-style buying, a model that has gained traction as brands push for greater efficiency and interoperability across media networks.
Retail media has become a significant growth lever for retailers, but the channel has also faced challenges tied to fragmentation and limited standardization. Macy’s move reflects a broader industry effort to reduce friction for advertisers by simplifying execution and expanding access to demand, without fully relinquishing control over pricing, placement or measurement.
Pentaleap’s real-time bidding (RTB) and mediation capabilities are designed to help retailers manage those trade-offs, allowing Macy’s to surface more relevant ads while coordinating demand from multiple buying platforms.
The technology will support retail media across Macy’s banners, including its namesake chain and Bloomingdale’s. While the company did not share specific rollout details or performance benchmarks, the update signals continued investment in retail media as a core component of Macy’s digital and monetization strategy.
Michael Krans, vice president of retail media at Macy’s said in a media release that the partnership is intended to support a more open and flexible retail media ecosystem while protecting the user experience.
