Increasing Your Screen Time in a Positive Way
Over the past year or so, I have often found myself writing about or reporting on retail media. Long a customer engagement tool for big-box and grocery retailers, retail media networks (RMNs) are increasingly making their way into convenience store retailers' toolboxes. Notable examples include 7-Eleven Inc.'s Gulp Media, Casey's General Stores Inc.'s Casey's Access and Wawa Inc.'s Goose Media Network.
There are many reasons for the rise of RMNs in the channel. First and foremost, what better place to reach the immediate needs of consumers than in a convenience store? Another advantage c-stores have over their crosschannel competitors is a smaller physical space that lends itself to in-store screens — after all, what good is a screen in the frozen food aisle of a supermarket if a customer is shopping for cereal?
Hand in hand with the physical space is the channel's reach. Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven has nearly 13,000 stores, Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey's portfolio numbers more than 2,200 stores. Media, Pa.-based Wawa's store count has topped 1,000. That is a lot of consumers and a lot of eyes in a lot of towns, both big and small, across the United States.
To help brands harness the power of RMNs, our sister publication Path to Purchase Institute will be holding the inaugural Storefronts event — think upfronts for in-store retail media. The Sept. 12, 2024 event in Chicago will bring together brand marketers to hear directly from leading U.S. retailer media networks on their visions for 2025.
You don't need a crystal ball to see that retail media networks will play a key role in the next evolution of customer engagement. What remains to be seen is the value it unlocks.
