Retail Media Monthly: Spotlight on UK Supermarkets

Tesco Led all UK Supermarkets in Retail Media Impressions

Tesco topped all UK supermarkets in retail media impressions for September, continuing a 14-month trend. Carlsberg Group emerged as the leading advertiser at Tesco, with a display campaign promoting a free Ooni Pizza Oven offer. Following Tesco, Sainsbury edged out Waitrose to secure the category’s #2 position, driven by a campaign promoting their Nectar loyalty program, which we’ll dive into below.

Facebook Stood Out as a Top Channel for UK Supermarkets

In September, three out of the four UK supermarkets allocated the largest share of their retail media impressions to Facebook. Tesco implemented the most diverse channel mix, with activity running across 7 different digital touchpoints. Compared to the other supermarkets, Co-op placed the greatest emphasis on TikTok and Instagram, where ads promised “Refreshing Savings” on Budweiser.

Sainsbury Showcased Loyalty Card Savings with Nectar Campaign

Among UK Supermarkets, Sainsbury generated the second-largest volume of retail media impressions in September (124M), primarily through support for their Nectar loyalty card program. Creative highlighted savings on specific products, illustrating the price difference with and without a Nectar membership. On YouTube, video ads demonstrated how shoppers can use their phones to scan products and unlock Nectar deals in-store. For supermarkets, loyalty programs like Nectar not only benefit shoppers, but also supply valuable first-party data to help fuel their retail media targeting and measurement.

Waitrose Spotlighted Major Brands in a “Great Savings Event”

In September, a high-profile “Great Savings Event” took center stage in Waitrose’s retail media strategy, tempting shoppers with “Big Savings on Big-Name Brands.” While most ads featured multiple products, Twinings Tea emerged as the supermarket’s leading advertiser, earning a total of 4.5M impressions. In fact, all eight of Waitrose’s top advertisers were included in the campaign, underscoring its key role in the supermarket’s September strategy.

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