Weis, Smart & Final, Others Launch Digital Ad Solution

Mercatus has launched a new capability to combine the company's integrated e-commerce platform with a scalable and professionally managed native advertising program, powered in partnership with CitrusAd.

Weis Markets, Smart & Final and Piggly Wiggly Midwest will be the first grocers to adopt the Mercatus Digital Advertising solution, which can drive additional revenue from their e-commerce storefronts and claim their share of national CPG digital ad dollars.

In partnering with CitrusAd, Mercatus gains access to retail media technology to enable contextual and compelling native advertising throughout the online shopping journey. The goal of Mercatus and the partnership is to give grocery retailers a turnkey solution for online advertising media and reporting transparency.

“Too often, grocers’ digital advertising is a disjointed experience, lacking the ability to monetize their digital presence at scale and offer the self-managed advertising capabilities and real-time reporting that brands get with larger players,” said Brad Moran, CEO, CitrusAd. “With CitrusAd powering Mercatus Digital Advertising, grocery retailers now have a clear-cut alternative to optimize their online ad programs, simplifying the advertising process both internally, and for brand advertisers and media agencies, as well as winning a bigger slice of media revenue.”

Targeted product search, category results and native display ads integrate with the online shopping experience, encouraging shoppers to add contextual and relevant consumer brand offers directly to their digital carts instead of being redirected off site and interrupting the buyer’s journey. 

“As online grocery sales continue to grow and traditional media channels wane in their effectiveness and popularity, digital advertising on the Mercatus platform using the CitrusAd Network will help grocery retailers access a revenue stream previously monopolized by tier-one competitors and delivery-provider marketplaces,” said Sylvain Perrier, president and CEO, Mercatus. “Consumer brands and their media agencies are searching for more direct, lower-funnel conversion at the point of purchase. And that’s exactly what Mercatus Digital Advertising offers

Smart & Final operates 255 stores and is No. 57 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's list of the top food retailers in North America, while Weis Markets, with 197 stores is No. 58.