Revolutionising Retail

The evolution of the retail media landscape is super exciting, and to stay ahead of the game requires adaptability and innovation. At Nectar360, we are perfectly positioned to offer a market leading connected digital screen network at Sainsbury’s – in partnership with Clear Channel – that will delight clients, engage customers & deliver positive results for categories.   We are embracing this challenge with a forward-thinking approach and laying the foundations for the digitisation of our in-store environment.

We are proud to be playing a key role in redefining the in-store experience at Sainsbury’s. In this blog, I’ll be sharing an overview of our journey so far, exploring the “what”, “why” and “how” of this retail media evolution.

At Nectar360, we are laying the foundations for an enhanced, connected digital screen network across our supermarket estate which will unlock a wealth of opportunities for brands to deliver the most relevant messages, at the right time and add value to the customer experience in-store.

Just last month, we announced an extension to the Sainsbury’s Live network. In collaboration with our colleagues within Sainsbury’s and the team at Clear Channel, we are expanding our digital screen network to encompass over 800 screens. These interconnected screens will offer vast potential for engaging customers through features like QR codes and product promotions, all while enhancing brand and product awareness as well as driving sales for our clients.

1. Enhanced customer experience. One of our primary objectives is to provide customers with an enriched shopping experience. Through digital screens and technology, we’re aiming to make the shopping experience more engaging and convenient for the customer.
2. Benefits for colleagues. Incorporating digitisation will also enhance the work environment for our colleagues in-store too. A centralised content management system will reduce the demands on our colleagues in-store and support them in being able to inspire our customers. 
3. Planning for better. Across Nectar360 and Sainsbury’s, we are committed to supporting our sustainability agenda and we see in-store digitisation as playing a key role in reducing waste by printing less POS materials for our stores. There is still a significant role for traditional retail media to play but the digital evolution will help us do it in a more considered way. 
4. Commercial Benefits. In the face of intense competition within the retail industry and evolving demand, adapting to changing customer behaviours and providing dynamic solutions to the market is crucial. These new in-store digitisation efforts aim to deliver commercial benefits for all parties involved. 

• Phase one – Partnership: By partnering with one of the UK’s leading Digital Out of Home media owners, we are optimising our potential to offer a fantastic digital proposition in our stores. Supporting each other on the operational and technical challenges to drive executional excellence and establishing a commercial model that benefits all parties will be pivotal in our success. We will continue to learn throughout this journey and work collaboratively to deliver a brilliant proposition for clients and customers. 

• Phase two – Plan & Trial: With the large number of stakeholders that need to be consulted and subsequent considerations that were to be assessed, it was vital to make sure we carefully crafted our plan to land digital screens in our stores. Key operational considerations included: type of screen; energy consumption; data connectivity; colleague impact; customer feedback; governance processes – to name just a few. This has resulted in our trial landing successfully in five of our stores – Apsley Mills, Calcot, Charlton Riverside, Heyford Hill and Nine Elms – with key learnings established to support our rollout plans. 

• Phase three – Scale: Following the successful trials, it is full steam ahead as we look to apply our learnings from the trial and rollout our internal screen network in early 2024 as well as upgrading and installing new screens at the front of stores. Achieving this at scale requires support from a large group of stakeholders and we are really looking forward to seeing the screens in the ground!   

• Phase four – Future Developments/Alignment. This is just the beginning of our journey and we are already planning for a future state where we could potentially offer further integrations with digital signage across our estate and look to offer a full 360 digital offering – onsite, offsite and in-store. This phase is dedicated to maintaining Sainsbury’s position at the cutting edge of innovation within the retail media industry and ensuring we continue to develop our proposition.  

The path to this point has been a lengthy one and there are more tracks to be laid. The foundations for our commercial and operational success are now firmly in place, paving the way for the delivery of an exciting and industry-leading proposition. This transformation is an ongoing evolution that reaches into every corner of our business. It affects how we interact with our customers, how we support our colleagues, and how we meet the ever-evolving demands of our clients in the wonderful, dynamic retail media space.

In the end, this is about more than just digitisation – it’s a commitment to excellence and innovation, a dedication to pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and a drive to continually raise the bar for our industry. As we move forward, we eagerly anticipate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. 

If you want to read more about our expansion of The Sainsbury’s Live network, see below:

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/sainsburys/nectar-360-to-double-its-network-of-digital-screens-in-sainsburys-stores/683938.article?adredir=1