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Verve Retail Media at Euroshop (Image: invidis)
Verve Retail Media at Euroshop (Image: invidis)

Euroshop 2026: How Verve Plans to Bring Retail Media to the Retail Floor

Düsseldorf | In recent months, ad‑tech specialist Verve has become one of the most talked‑about names in Retail Media. With German roots and a strong North American footprint, Verve is suddenly everywhere - at NRF and Euroshop, and increasingly active behind the scenes. Some of these moves stayed under the radar, including the quiet acquisition of DooH operator Viewento, but together they form a clear strategy: Verve wants to become a major retail media network player.

Verve is far from a newcomer. With over 1,000 employees and revenues of around €550 million in 2025, the public-traded company is an established ad-tech player in mobile advertising and CTV. Now Verve is expanding aggressively into the physical retail environment. To execute this shift, the company founded Verve Retail Media in Germany in June 2025 – led by experienced retail tech expert Raimund Bau.

This new unit positions itself as an end-to-end Retail Media solution provider, blending traditional ad‑tech DNA with in‑store presence. It aims to close a gap between digital and physical channels that retailers have struggled to bridge.

A Full In-Store Retail Media Stack – From Entrances to Shopping Carts

What distinguishes Verve from many newcomers is the breadth of its offering. The company promises a unified, fully managed Retail Media infrastructure, covering everything from entrance screens to shelf displays. The portfolio includes:

  • entrance and aisle screens
  • displays on and inside shopping carts
  • shelf‑level displays with pick‑up sensors
  • mobile couponing integrated into retail apps
  • and the integration of existing digital signage inventory

For many retailers, this “one partner, one system” approach is significantly more attractive than the fragmented solutions landscape that currently dominates in‑store Retail Media.

The acquisition of Viewento immediately after Verve Retail Media’s launch was a decisive step. Viewento holds exclusive DooH marketing rights for parts of the EDEKA supermarket network in Bavaria and Thuringia – giving Verve a valuable installed base and a direct, immediate foothold in German grocery retail.

Verve Retail Media at Euroshop (Image: invidis)
Verve Retail Media at Euroshop (Image: invidis)

Taking on the Investment Risk for Retailers

One of the biggest barriers to Retail Media rollouts is the upfront investment required to equip stores. Verve’s answer is simple: it takes on the investment itself.

To build scalable, measurable reach quickly, Verve installs the entire infrastructure at its own cost, while also collecting real‑time data that feeds into its retail media and analytics platforms. The company partners with specialists such as Advertima to combine sensor‑based customer insights with its ad‑tech ecosystem.

First test stores in Bayreuth and Rostock have already been equipped with the full Verve tech stack. These pilot locations will demonstrate how Verve’s tech-stack can hold up in everyday retail operations – the biggest hurdle before full nationwide rollouts can begin.

A New Retail Media Powerhouse in the Making?

Verve’s push into physical retail comes at a moment when the Retail Media landscape is exploding, but in‑store execution remains inconsistent. Retailers are eager to monetize footfall, but often lack the tools, infrastructure, and operational experience to manage retail media networks themselves. Verve brings scale, software, data – and crucially, ad‑tech monetization expertise – into an environment that desperately needs standardization and professionalization.

If the early pilots succeed, Verve could quickly become an influential new player on the European Retail Media stage – not just a mobile ad‑tech leader, but a full‑stack partner for retailers who want to monetise the aisle, not just the app.