Dean, Co-op has a very distinct loyalty model. What sets it apart?

Our model is unique because it’s not just loyalty, it’s membership. At Co-op, when you join, you become a part-owner of the business. That means you have a say in what we do, where we invest, and how we operate in communities.

On top of that, you get value through rewards, personalised offers, and access to exclusive benefits like pre-sale concert tickets at Co-op Live. It’s a threefold model: share in the business, enjoy personal value, and help shape positive social impact.

And you’ve brought retail media into that mix. How?

Yes, retail media now plays a big role. What makes our approach different is that it’s rooted in the same principles as our membership strategy. We don’t see it as a bolt-on, but as a connected system that complements customer experience. Every ad, every partnership, every placement is designed intentionally.

In less than 12 months, we deployed over 1,000 digital screens across more than 1,000 stores, prioritising high-footfall locations like entrances. Why? Because movement captures attention, state-shifts (like entering a store) are key moments for communication, and smart screen placement elevates store perception.

It’s not just about reach—it’s about designing for attention.

How do you balance monetisation with trust and customer experience?

We prioritise effectiveness before efficiency. That means ensuring a media activation adds value to the shopper before we consider ad revenue. You can’t get that back once you lose a customer’s trust. And because we own the in-store media channels, we can safeguard brand safety, frequency, relevance, and personalisation.

You mentioned that convenience retail is different. How has that shaped your media strategy at Co-op?

Absolutely. Convenience is an often-overlooked but high-frequency channel. Compared to big-box or e-commerce, we make quick decisions, offer smaller baskets, and achieve much higher visit rates.

That meant we had to reframe how we viewed retail media, shifting our perspective away from just online vs. offline and toward a four-quadrant model: E-Comm, Big Shop, Q-Comm, and Convenience. That gave us our ownable territory and helped us build a focused and effective media offer rooted in the realities of convenience retail.

You talk a lot about behavioural science. How does that play into your strategy?

A lot! For example, our personalised offers require members to choose two out of eight offers each week. That choice creates a sense of ownership. It’s subtle psychology, but it works. Gamification plays a role, too.

We’ve run Santa-themed games in the app, where you can win a discount by playing. It’s fun, it’s brand-aligned, and it drives repeat engagement. The future is merging personalisation with gamified mechanics at scale.

What advice do you have for retailers exploring their own in-store retail media networks?

First, ensure it aligns with your brand and shopping objectives. Don’t copy the biggest player—build a model that works for your frequency, your format, your customers. Second, keep loyalty and media close together. They reinforce each other.

Ultimately, invest in a platform and a partner ecosystem that provides you with control, agility, and future readiness.