Dive Brief:

• As a next step in its continuing digital transformation efforts, Casey’s General Stores will launch its own retail media network in early 2023, according to an emailed announcement.
• Through its network — called Casey’s Access — Casey’s will offer CPG companies and other vendors access to its first-party customer data. These vendors can then use that data to create and target relevant promotions, offers and other marketing content.
• Casey’s is the second major U.S c-store chain to launch a retail media venture, and more will likely follow as c-stores wrestle with higher operating costs and an evolving digital landscape

Dive Insight:

In October, 7-Eleven announced its entrance into retail media with its Gulp Media Network, which came in response to a need 7-Eleven saw within the “immediate consumption market” — also known as impulse purchasing — the company said in an interview at the time.

A differentiator for Casey’s Access will be the fact that Casey’s owns and operates all of its locations and attracts guests who specifically seek out its pizza in addition to standard c-store offerings, Art Sebastian, vice president of digital experiences for Casey’s, said in the announcement.

Casey’s Access will offer CPG brands a variety of advertising opportunities, including in-store, online and at the pump, utilizing onsite owned media, in-store media and offsite paid media. Casey’s Access will also feature a measurement and analytics tool for brands to track their campaign performance.

Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s, which operates over 2,400 stores in 16 states, has been planning its retail media network for more than two years, according to the announcement. It will use retail media platform provider CitrusAd to build and launch Casey’s Access. Casey’s did not specify if Casey’s Access will be run by its own in-house employees or by those at CitrusAd.

According to its website, CitrusAd has worked on Hy-Vee’s retail media network, although it’s unclear if that also included the grocer’s Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh convenience stores. Other brands CitrusAd has provided retail media expertise for include ShopRite, United Supermarkets, Lowe’s, Kohl’s, AT&T, Bed Bath & Beyond and more.

Retail media networks have grown in popularity over the past few years as brands have sought out better ways to get in front of customers at the point of purchase as third-party cookies began depreciating and as consumers increasingly shopped online. Beyond c-store retailers like Casey’s and 7-Eleven, companies such as Kroger and Walmart have been building out retail media networks for some time now. According to AdWeek, 74% of brands have dedicated budgets for retail media networks in 2022.