In-Store Media Startup Looma Bolsters Leadership
Point-of-decision media startup Looma hired Instacart alum Andrey Vinogradsky to its executive team as part of a late 2022 hiring spree to support forthcoming growth.
In October 2022, Vinogradsky took the reigns as Looma’s senior vice president of retail operations. His initial focus is on preparing the company's retail operations engine for considerable expansion with its at-shelf network of screens, Loop, as well as on its retail media integration strategy overall, according to a recent media release. He'll report directly to company founder and CEO Cole Johnson.
Vinogradsky brings experience in the startup, retail and food & beverage spaces. He most recently oversaw business development for Instacart's SMB retail accounts in the U.S. and Canada.
"Having spent many years in a retail environment as both consumer and professional, it has always baffled me that no one has cracked offline media in a thoughtful way,” Vinogradsky said in the release. “What Looma brings to the table is revolutionary, from its approach to content and shopper experience to the way it enables stores, category teams and marketers to connect with consumers in meaningful ways."
Looma currently operates adult beverage (BevAlc) programs in North Carolina-based Harris Teeter stores (owned by Kroger) and Lowes Foods Stores, as well as Midwest-based Schnuck Markets and H-E-B locations in Texas. It also has pilot programs — either active or in review — with several regional and national grocers in both BevAlc and center store, per the release.
About Looma
Durham, North Carolina-based Looma leverages in-store advertising and commerce offerings to connect shoppers to the people and stories behind its brand partners and inform purchasing decisions. Two products enable this pursuit:
- Loop: an in-store media platform that plays stories, not ads.
- Relay: a marketplace of filmmakers who specialize in point-of-decision video in food and beverages.