Åhléns joins Visual Art’s national retail media network

The initiative, launched earlier this year, brings multiple retailers together under a shared in-store retail media structure. By connecting individual store networks, a scalable model is created that puts reach, standardisation, and accessibility at its core.

– As a strong retailer like Åhléns joins, we see how the network is rapidly growing in both reach and relevance. This is an important milestone in our ambition to establish a national retail media structure that makes the channel more accessible and actionable for the market, says Pontus Meijer, CEO of Visual Art.

Åhléns adds a well-established department store environment with strong customer presence and a clear position in inspiration and brand experience – creating new opportunities for advertisers to influence consumers close to the moment of purchase.

– This collaboration is an important step in our ambition to develop Åhléns’ retail media offering. By combining our strong in-store environment with data-driven technology, we are creating new opportunities for brands to reach customers in a more effective and measurable way, says Linnéa Mårtensson, Retail Media & Partner Manager at Åhléns.

At the core of the network is Visual Art’s Retail Media Hub, where data on inventory, screen formats, reach, and exposure is structured and standardised. This enables professional packaging and sales of physical store environments as media channels – aligned with how other media types are bought and sold.

The solution is integrated with Visual Art’s In-Store Experience Management (IXM) platform, enabling orchestration of content, campaign control, and a balanced customer experience across the network. By connecting digital touchpoints in-store with data and business logic, the platform creates the foundation for scalable, data-driven retail media.

As part of the ecosystem, Bonnier News is responsible for packaging and selling the network’s reach through its established media sales organisation and commercial tools.

– Together with Visual Art and the retailers joining the network, we are building a retail media offering with both scale and quality. As the network grows, it becomes increasingly attractive for advertisers looking to combine reach with high relevance and proximity to the moment of purchase, says Paul Brandenberg, Sales Director at Bonnier News.

The data-driven foundation of the offering is further strengthened by Åhléns’ partnership with ASPACE, whose AI-driven sensor technology enables real-time analysis of in-store exposure and customer flows. This creates transparency, verifiable reach and shared KPIs for both retailers and advertisers, whilst all data is managed locally without personal information being stored or shared.

– For retail media to mature as a channel, it requires not only reach but also structure, transparency, and measurement. By combining our platform and network model with strong partners in sales and data, we are building a solution that creates long-term value for the entire market, says Pontus Meijer.

For retailers, the network provides an opportunity to connect to a broader commercial ecosystem without losing control over their own data, offerings, or customer experience. For advertisers, it provides a simpler and more effective way to access retail media – with unified reach, clearer packaging, and proximity to the point of purchase.

The initiative is part of Visual Art’s long-term ambition to develop in-store retail media as a strategic component of the digital in-store experience – where the store increasingly becomes a data-driven and monetisable media channel.