Grocery retailers building or upgrading a retail media network should compare Epsilon Retail Media/CitrusAd, dunnhumby, Criteo, Zitcha, Topsort, Kevel, Koddi and Mirakl Ads. The right platform depends on whether the retailer wants a managed network, self-serve sponsored products, off-site activation, in-store media, API control, first-party audience tools or a broader marketplace advertising stack.
Retail media has moved from a side project inside ecommerce into a core grocery profit pool. The shift sits within the wider UK retail technology market, where data monetisation and retail media are becoming core supermarket capabilities. That makes platform selection more strategic. A retailer is not only buying an ad server; it is choosing how brands access first-party audiences, how campaigns are auctioned, how sales are attributed and how much control the retailer keeps over data, demand and pricing.
This buyer guide focuses on technology providers and infrastructure rather than supermarket-owned retail media networks. It is deliberately separate from GTN news coverage of individual retailer launches.
Retail media platforms at a glance
| Platform | Core strength | Typical use case | Buyer question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epsilon Retail Media / CitrusAd | On-site and off-site retail media | Sponsored products, banners and broader activation | How much control sits with the retailer? |
| dunnhumby | Grocery data, audiences and media | Retailer networks tied to shopper insight | How are audiences and measurement connected? |
| Criteo | Commerce media demand and monetisation | Sponsored listings and off-site campaigns | What demand can the platform bring? |
| Zitcha | Retail media orchestration | Multi-channel network management | Can online, off-site and in-store be run together? |
| Topsort | API-led auction infrastructure | Sponsored listings and marketplace monetisation | How much infrastructure control do we want? |
| Kevel | Ad APIs and custom retail media stacks | Retailers building owned ad technology | Do we have engineering resource to use the flexibility? |
| Koddi | Commerce media technology | Retail and marketplace ad networks | How strong are optimisation and demand tools? |
| Mirakl Ads | Marketplace and retail media integration | Retailers connecting marketplace sellers and ads | Is marketplace monetisation central to the strategy? |
1. Epsilon Retail Media / CitrusAd
CitrusAd developed a strong position in sponsored products and retailer ecommerce advertising and is now presented as part of Epsilon Retail Media. The platform combines on-site monetisation with wider off-site capabilities.
For grocery retailers, the attraction is a mature sponsored-products workflow and advertiser self-service. The procurement question is how data, demand access and platform control work inside the wider Epsilon/Publicis ecosystem.
2. dunnhumby
dunnhumby brings grocery-specific customer data science into retail media. Its heritage with major food retailers means media can be connected closely with shopper segmentation, loyalty data and category measurement.
In June 2026, dunnhumby launched a network alliance with pilots involving Tesco, B&Q, John Lewis and Waitrose, aimed at reducing fragmentation by connecting audiences and inventory across retailers. That illustrates the direction of travel: brands increasingly want simpler access across multiple retail networks.
3. Criteo
Criteo is a major commerce media technology provider with retailer monetisation and advertiser demand capabilities. Its scale can be attractive to retailers that want access to established brand budgets and off-site activation as well as on-site placements.
Retailers should examine economics carefully: who owns advertiser relationships, how auction rules are configured, what fees apply and which customer data leaves the retailer environment.
4. Zitcha
Zitcha focuses on retail media orchestration across on-site, off-site and other channels. This approach is relevant as grocery networks extend beyond sponsored search into social, display and physical-store inventory.
The platform should be tested on workflow. Commercial teams need a system that reduces manual trafficking rather than creating another layer between retailer, agency and brand.
5. Topsort
Topsort positions itself as AI-powered retail media infrastructure for retailers and marketplaces that want control over auctions, sponsored listings and attribution. Its model is more infrastructure-led than a traditional managed media network.
This can suit digital-first grocers that want a commerce-native stack. Buyers should assess API maturity, engineering effort, bidder controls and how easily non-technical sales teams can operate the system.
6. Kevel
Kevel provides ad APIs that retailers can use to build customised retail media products. It is particularly relevant to businesses that want to own more of the technology layer rather than accept a fixed vendor interface.
That flexibility comes with responsibility. A retailer needs product and engineering capability to turn APIs into a polished advertiser and internal-user experience.
7. Koddi
Koddi operates commerce media technology across retail, marketplaces and other digital businesses. It supports sponsored listings and monetisation infrastructure alongside optimisation and demand tools.
Retailers should compare Koddi on yield management, advertiser usability and how its reporting handles true incremental sales rather than simple last-click attribution.
8. Mirakl Ads
Mirakl Ads is especially relevant to retailers that already operate or plan a third-party marketplace. It can connect seller monetisation and retail media within the wider Mirakl ecosystem.
For grocers, marketplace strategy is the dividing line. If third-party assortment is small, a specialised retail-media platform may offer a cleaner fit. If marketplace growth is central, integrated seller advertising becomes more valuable.
What should grocery retailers compare?
- Sponsored products: auction quality, relevance controls and stock awareness.
- Display: banners, brand pages, video and native formats.
- Off-site media: ability to activate retailer audiences beyond owned websites.
- In-store: integration with digital screens, audio or other physical inventory, including emerging formats such as smart-cart retail media.
- Self-service: campaign creation, billing, budget control and reporting for brands.
- Measurement: sales attribution, incrementality and new-to-brand reporting.
- Data governance: ownership, clean-room options, consent and privacy controls.
- Demand: whether the platform brings advertisers or only technology.
- APIs: depth of integration with search, catalogue, loyalty and checkout.
- Commercial model: licence, revenue share, managed-service fee or hybrid.
Retail media platform versus retail media network
The platform is the technology used to sell, serve, optimise and measure advertising. The retail media network is the retailer’s commercial media business, including inventory, audience, sales team and advertiser relationships. GTN’s coverage of the Co-op UK DOOH retail media network shows how that commercial layer extends into physical-store media as well as ecommerce. A strong technology platform cannot fix weak inventory or a poorly defined commercial proposition.
How should supermarkets measure retail media?
ROAS remains important, but mature grocery networks should also measure incremental sales, category growth, new-to-brand customers, advertiser retention, fill rate, revenue per thousand visits and the effect of advertising on shopper experience. High media income is not a win if irrelevant sponsored products damage search quality or customer trust.
Frequently asked questions
Which retail media platform is best for grocery?
There is no universal winner. CitrusAd/Epsilon and dunnhumby have strong grocery relevance, Criteo offers broad commerce-media scale, while Kevel and Topsort appeal to retailers wanting more infrastructure control. The right choice depends on strategy and internal capability.
Do supermarkets need a retail media platform?
Large retailers can build technology internally, but most use specialist platforms for at least part of ad serving, auctions, reporting or off-site activation. The decision is usually build, buy or combine both.
What is sponsored product advertising?
Sponsored products are paid product placements within retailer search or category results. Advertisers usually bid for visibility, while the platform uses relevance and commercial rules to decide which eligible product is shown.
Why is first-party grocery data valuable?
Retailers can connect advertising exposure with actual product purchases and loyalty behaviour. This creates closed-loop measurement that many traditional media channels cannot provide at the same level.
Retail media is becoming part of the grocery commercial model
A retailer is not only choosing ad software. It is deciding how much control to keep over first-party data, sponsored-search inventory, off-site activation, campaign measurement and the relationship with FMCG suppliers. The platform decision therefore affects both technology and trading income.
What grocery retailers should compare
| Capability | Buyer question |
|---|---|
| Sponsored products | Can brands buy search/category visibility without damaging relevance? |
| On-site display | Who controls placement, frequency and creative? |
| Off-site media | Can retailer audiences activate safely across external channels? |
| Measurement | Are sales, incrementality and ROAS measured from retailer data? |
| APIs | Can the retailer integrate its own app, ecommerce and reporting stack? |
| Data control | Who owns audience, campaign and performance data? |
What FMCG suppliers want from a retail media network
Brands want access to shoppers close to purchase, but they also want comparable measurement. If every retailer defines attribution differently, the supplier cannot easily compare investment. The strongest networks will therefore combine valuable first-party audiences with transparent reporting and clear separation between genuine incremental sales and sales that would have happened anyway.
Sources and verification
Platform positioning was checked against current information from Epsilon/CitrusAd, dunnhumby, Criteo, Zitcha, Topsort, Kevel, Koddi and Mirakl. Retail media products are changing rapidly; retailers should verify current integrations, pricing and data terms during an RFP.
