Albertsons is deploying 1,000 in-store screens by year-end, equipped with content management software, ad serving technology, and beacon technology to measure effectiveness.
“We get half a billion trips into our stores every year, so we’ve got massive audiences moving throughout the stores,” said Monahan.
The in-store format includes shortened clips, QR codes, and subtitles optimized for the retail environment. The video portal features surrounding product ads to drive conversion.
Retailers as distributors, not studios
Albertsons doesn’t plan to become a content studio despite the initiative’s success.
“We’re really good at execution and operations. We’re not particularly creative,” said Monahan. “We’re going to rely on our partners to do the storytelling and the content, and we’re going to help with the insights, the distribution, and the measurement.”
The retailer is fielding interest from other brands wanting to create similar episodic content, but Monahan’s team is pushing back on a one-size-fits-all approach.
“Before we decide we have a micro-drama hammer and everything looks like a micro-drama nail, let’s look at the problem,” he said. Alternative solutions might include gamified experiences or loyalty point programs depending on the business objective.
The initiative represents broader industry momentum toward expanding retail media beyond performance advertising. Instacart recently launched a shoppable feed, while Walmart acquired Vizio to enhance connected TV capabilities.
“You see retailers who are adding more to their toolkit throughout the purchase journey to work with their partners,” Monahan said. “It’s not just us; it’s the whole industry.”
The shift also involves bringing shopper marketing creativity into retail media.
“If you go into one of our stores and you look at the shopper marketing, you’ll see some incredible creative,” Monahan said. “I’m really curious to see how those creatives that have historically done shopper marketing start to think about these video screens throughout the store.”
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