Albertsons to Expand Retail Media Network 10x, Accelerating Scale for Advertisers

January 21, 2026 by guest author, Antonia Hamberger

Digital screens are set to multiply in Albertsons stores next year, as the grocery chain ramps up its in-store retail media network tenfold. Albertsons Media Collective is rolling out screens in 800 stores across its 2,200+ locations in 2026, up from an 80-store pilot launched last summer.

Albertsons made the announcement at CES this month. Now, Liz Roche, VP of Media and Measurement for Albertsons Media Collective, told Modern Retail more about the grocer’s ambitious plans. The goal, Roche says, is to try to get that scale for advertisers as quickly as possible. The rollout will focus on top-performing stores, giving brands broad visibility while leveraging Albertsons’ new in-house measurement tools.

Since the pilot began, Albertsons was able to sign on more than 50 advertisers, running campaigns that extend beyond in-store screens to connected TV, social video, and off-site display. Roche says the network’s measurement framework — which compares campaign stores to selected control stores — has been key to the expansion. “We’ve calibrated against over 60 factors to make sure we’re finding causal sales lift,” she told Modern Retail. One campaign with Mondelēz promoting Sargento Cheese Bakes crackers showed a 14% lift in participating stores.

The screens tap Stratacache’s Walkbase sensors, allowing Albertsons to track impressions and optimize campaigns in real time. Roche frames the system as both accountable and repeatable: “We’ve created an infrastructure that advertisers can trust to deliver measurable, reliable results.”

Albertsons’ move signals a strong dedication towards retail media – a sentiment other U.S. retailers like Kroger and CVS Health seem to share. It’s a bet that in-store screens, backed by rigorous measurement in analytics technology, can become a scalable, high-impact advertising channel.

(Image: Albertsons Media Collective)