Tesco Brings Influencer Content to 3,800 In-Store Screens

At its Upfront event on October 8, Tesco Media unveiled a new influencer proposition that serves video content from creators across Tesco's website, app, and in-store digital screens—a network comprising over 3,800 screens, including 2,800 in Tesco Express stores. The content comes alongside video ads within the online shopping experience, with campaigns currently entering trial phases.

The announcement was paired with the "Ad Manager" platform built by the company with Kevel, a self-serve platform that unifies planning, booking, measurement, and optimization within a single interface, featuring AI-powered workflows. The "Smart Audiences" tool also leverages Clubcard data to suggest buyer groups up to predictive audiences.

Tesco cited its own data showing that 40% of shoppers under 45 follow influencers for brand and product recommendations. Steve Edwards, head of agency at Tesco Media, said that only one in four products is bought out of habit, leaving significant room to influence purchasing behavior.

The development reflects retail media's shift from digital store shelves to physical in-store screens—a model retail chains in the Arab region could follow, as connecting influencer content to sales spaces close to the decision point offers brands a channel closer to the point of purchase than traditional digital advertising.

What Do These Terms Mean?

Retail Media: Advertising spaces sold by retail chains on their digital and physical assets, leveraging loyalty card data to target shoppers.

In-store Digital Screens: Centrally managed screens inside branches displaying dynamic ad content, instead of static printed signage.

Clubcard: The loyalty card that collects purchasing data from Tesco customers, used to segment audiences and direct ad campaigns.

Self-serve Platform: A tool where the advertiser sets up, launches, and measures their campaign independently without an intermediary, typically used to speed up the process and lower costs.