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AUGUST 3, 2026 |
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Kroger is betting that organizational alignment and retail intelligence will transform how brands approach growth strategies, moving beyond siloed advertising campaigns to create sustainable, category-expanding partnerships. |
"It's more than most publishers or most in kind of a media-focused world are gonna be focused on, you know, the next impression," said Christine Foster, group vice president of commercial strategy and operations at Kroger Precision Marketing, in
a conversation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. "For us, it really is about that next sale." |
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About a year ago, Kroger restructured its retail media operations by bringing consumer insights, loyalty marketing, and retail media together under the Kroger Precision Marketing umbrella. The organization now also integrates with merchandising, creating what Foster describes as a "one seamless experience" for brand partners. |
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Why organizational structure matters for retail media |
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The restructuring addresses a critical challenge facing retail media networks: disconnected strategies that fail to match how consumers actually shop. Foster explained that brands need holistic strategies, connected technology stacks, and unified teams working together—something that siloed organizations struggle to deliver. |
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The integration enables Kroger to have more comprehensive conversations with brands, spanning product innovation, merchandising strategy, weekly promotions, and media amplification. "What's good for the brand is good for us," Foster said, emphasizing that the goal is maximizing impact across the total ecosystem. |
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This approach reflects a broader industry shift. As retail media matures, networks are recognizing that selling individual advertising campaigns isn't enough—they need to demonstrate how media drives actual product sales repeatedly and at scale. |
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The back-to-school season is giving payment platforms an opportunity to attract ad spending, per a PayPal study. |
Parents want to simplify the stress of back-to-school shopping, per a PayPal survey conducted by Morning Consult—consolidating intent signals for all-in-one payments platforms’
Financial Media Networks (FMNs). |
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Almost two-thirds (64%) of parents say they want one app where they can shop deals and pay.
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Over half (57%) of parents say they are more likely to shop retailers that offer payment flexibility.
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And more than half (53%) of surveyed parents claim flexible payment availability influences which retailer they choose. |
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