Zetadisplay Builds Spar's First Retail Media Network in Central Europe
2026-09-09 · via invidis
Zetadisplay is building the first retail media network for Spar's Central European stores, adding hundreds of displays to a partnership that already covers digital menu boards, deli-counter screens and kiosk ordering systems. The rollout, led by Zetadisplay's Austria team, started as a pilot and is set to run through the end of the year.
For operators watching the retail media land grab in Europe, this is another data point showing how quickly grocery chains are converting existing signage estates into ad inventory rather than building networks from scratch. Spar and Zetadisplay have worked together for more than a decade on operational screens; the new layer turns that installed base into a monetizable channel.
The project runs on Retailmediatools, the retail media infrastructure-as-a-service platform Zetadisplay acquired recently. According to Zetadisplay, the acquisition creates what it calls the first fully integrated, retailer-owned media ecosystem linking physical stores with digital advertising, and it gives retailers full control over their own retail media operations. That control point is worth noting: Spar, not Zetadisplay or an outside ad network, decides which brands can advertise on the screens. For retailers wary of handing ad sales and data to a third party, that ownership model is the pitch.
Content, scheduling and reporting for the whole network run through Zetadisplay's Engage Suite platform, which the companies say will also be extended to Spar's Slovenian stores. The announcement does not specify screen counts, hardware vendors, ad formats or measurement methodology beyond the general claim of a "robust" network, so operators looking for specifics on inventory size or how impressions will be reported to advertisers will need to wait for more detail.
Alongside the retail media buildout, Zetadisplay says it is repositioning some existing displays based on its own research into shopper behavior and in-store customer journeys. That is a reminder that retail media networks are not just about bolting ads onto whatever screens already exist; placement and format still need to match how people actually move through a store, particularly around deli counters and self-order kiosks where Spar already has a signage footprint.
Bernhard Schuch, key account manager at Zetadisplay, framed the move as part of a broader shift of stores from transaction points into media channels, saying retailers like Spar can use first-party data and in-store touchpoints to build new revenue streams while improving relevance for shoppers.
For the wider industry, the deal is another sign that infrastructure-as-a-service platforms bought through acquisition, rather than built in-house, are becoming the fastest route for signage integrators to get into retail media. Competing networks in grocery retail media, notably in the UK and US, have taken years to reach the scale Zetadisplay is promising here within a single fiscal quarter's rollout window.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
Zetadisplay is building the first retail media network for Spar, an international retailer with stores across Europe. The Central European rollout is based on Retailmediatools, the retail media infrastructure-as-a-service platform Zetadisplay recently acquired.
Spar’s Central European stores are getting their first retail media network, built by longtime technology partner Zetadisplay. The project is led by Zetadisplay’s Austria team, which has worked with Spar for more than a decade. The rollout started with a pilot program and runs through the end of the year.
The project is built on Retailmediatools, the retail media infrastructure-as-a-service platform Zetadisplay recently acquired . According to Zetadisplay, the deal creates the first fully integrated, retailer-owned media ecosystem connecting brick-and-mortar retail with digital advertising and gives retailers full control over their retail media operations.
The long-standing partnership has already produced digital menu boards, deli-counter screens, kiosk ordering systems, mosaic walls and employee information screens. The new rollout adds hundreds of displays, creating a robust digital signage network for retail media and other in-store communication. Existing displays are also being repositioned to better match evolving shopper behavior, based on Zetadisplay’s research into customer journeys and in-store engagement.
The entire network runs on Zetadisplay’s own Engage Suite platform, which will also launch in Slovenian Spar stores. Engage Suite handles content creation, scheduling and reporting.
Spar retains full control over its retail media ecosystem and decides which brands can advertise on the network.
Bernhard Schuch, key account manager at Zetadisplay, said: “Retail media is transforming stores from places where transactions happen into powerful media channels. By combining first-party data, audience insights and strategically placed digital touchpoints, retailers such as Spar can deliver more relevant customer experiences while creating scalable new revenue opportunities.”