Spar International accelerates in retail media with the Footprints AI platform across its entire network

Spar International has entered into a strategic partnership with Footprints AI to use its platform across the entire store network to plan, buy, optimise and measure retail media, with predictive targeting and in-store measurement.

The platform will be available to all licensees in the Spar network, which comprises 13.500 stores in 50 markets, and will enable Spar national organisations to access it to plan, buy, optimise and measure retail media campaigns with the same simplicity, accuracy and sales traceability as digital advertising.

How it works

The partnership provides solutions through a single platform layer, not an additional network: as well as providing independent retailers with a ready-to-use solution, it complies with all privacy and data regulations, ensuring that shopper privacy is not compromised in any way. The platform offers retailers new sources of revenue, connecting suppliers with consumers through point-of-sale advertising. It also enables local, regional, national or international campaigns to be run, with standardised reach measurement for each campaign to benefit retailers.

Footprints AI’s software integrates with the existing physical and digital retail infrastructure of Spar’s national organisations (stores, screens, in-store radio, e-commerce, mobile apps and Pos data) and connects it in a single marketplace aimed at advertisers, while ensuring that each Spar organisation retains full control of its own data, assets and commercial model.

The distinguishing features

Two features distinguish this marketplace from the retail media networks created to date:

• Predictive audience targeting. Footprints AI predicts what each shopper is most likely to purchase in the next 1, 7 and 30 days and uses this data to build audiences and optimise campaigns on in-store screens, in-store radio, e-commerce, mobile apps and off-site channels, based on each retailer’s data and consent model.
• In-store measurement and behavioural analysis. Footprints AI combines real-time signals on in-store shoppers, screen and radio play-out data, Pos transactions, activity during shopping, in-app behaviour and audiences of exposed shoppers to link media exposure to predicted demand and measured sales outcomes. Based on the Footprints AI benchmark covering more than 7.000 retail media campaigns, the platform has demonstrated accuracy above 98% in predicting demand and attributing media to sales, offering advertisers and agencies a clearer way to measure exposed shoppers, post-exposure behaviour, sales uplift and impact at Sku and store level in connected retail media environments.

l comments

“Retail media has reached a point where brands and agencies no longer need an isolated network. They need a marketplace capable of scaling results. The first phase of retail media involved individual retailers monetising their own assets. The next phase is a global marketplace infrastructure: advertisers gain a more consistent way to plan, buy, optimise and measure retail media across multiple markets, while local retailers retain control of their own data, assets and commercial model. This is the change we are building with Spar,” comments Dan Marc, CEO of Footprints AI.

“Retail media is an important growth platform in modern retail. At Spar, our ambition is to combine the strength of our global network with the potential of local retail entrepreneurship, creating a scalable platform that generates value for customers, retailers and brand partners. By combining our broad physical presence, shopper relationships and data expertise with advanced retail media technology, we are transforming the Spar network into a connected commercial ecosystem that enables brands to engage consumers more effectively across multiple markets, while also generating new revenue opportunities for Spar’s national organisations,” says Tobias Wasmuht, CEO of Spar International.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.