Minimart 5/22: Some hot takes on retail media...

Plus: BJ's new retail media platform, FreshDirect expands

May 22, 2025

If you know me, you know I love to nerd out on all things emerging brands and shopper marketing/retail media strategy. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of just that - I’ve been lucky enough to be a guest on two podcasts and a webinar!

Check out the latest (+ hear some of my best retail media tips for emerging brands) 👇️ 

Podcast: How Cool CPG Brands Buy Retail Media. We got into the weeds of what it really takes to make retail media work for emerging brands - everything from pulling the plug on AI automation to my hot takes on the platforms we use most.

Webinar: Smart Spend, Sharp Scale: How Insurgent CPGs Can Win Shopper & Retail Media. We unpacked how brands can scale spend without torching their margins and activation strategies that actually work for challenger brands.

Podcast: NOSH’s Elevator Talk. I chatted with five super early-stage founders about how they’re building brand loyalty the old-school way, even in the age automation.

— Eleanor

What’s in our cart?

Caliwater Cactus Water

We’ve all been sleeping on Caliwater. This super refreshing, hydrating bev actually tastes good (unlike other hydration bevs with that weird fake sugar taste) and is packed with electrolytes, antioxidants, and nutrients.

Bachan’s

Bachan’s has been a huge favorite in the Hayden household lately - it’s the only way I can get my kids to eat tofu! These Japanese Barbecue sauces could make anything taste delicious (we’ve also been loving it on chicken thighs), and they’re made with super simple, non-GMO ingredients.

Retail Roundup

Featured retailer marketing updates, deadlines, tips, and more!

🛒 BJ’s Media Edge Transitions to Criteo

Starting end of June, BJ’s Wholesale Club is officially transitioning its Media Edge retail media program to Criteo via whitelist, replacing Promote IQ (which is shutting down!).

What you need to know:

  • Criteo should offer more advanced ad formats, improved targeting, and a smoother, more intuitive UI.

  • All current and future campaigns will seamlessly migrate to the Criteo platform, so there’s nothing needed on your end!

🌱 FreshDirect Returns to PA and DE

FreshDirect is making a comeback in the Mid-Atlantic region, resuming deliveries to select counties in Pennsylvania (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia) and Delaware (New Castle County).

For brands looking to expand their e-commerce footprint in the Mid-Atlantic, FreshDirect's return presents a great opp to reach new customers.

Retail media tip: FreshDirect typically sees higher basket sizes and greater emphasis on fresh categories, so consider highlighting premium attributes and quality messaging rather than focusing solely on price promotions.

📱AD Retail Media Partners with Chicory for Contextual Commerce

Ahold Delhaize USA's retail media network is making moves in off-site through a new strategic partnership with Chicory, the contextual advertising platform for CPG and grocery advertisers.

What’s new:

  • Shoppable recipe integration: CPG brands can now connect with shoppers through contextual commerce media like shoppable recipe ads (both recipe pages and videos).

  • Premium publisher network: Chicory's platform extends AD Retail Media's reach across 5,200+ food websites and blogs - capturing shoppers before they even open a shopping app.

What this means for your strategy: You can now engage shoppers earlier in their decision-making process across Ahold Delhaize's family of brands (Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Food Lion, Hannaford, and Giant Martin's). If your products benefit from recipe-based discovery, this could be a channel worth exploring!

Thanks for reading!

— Eleanor