Sweden: Visual Art Launches First National Retail Media Network

Visual Art intensified its focus on Retail Media in 2024, bringing on former CEO Andreas Lind to develop a unified retail network. This strategy continued under the ownership of Vertiseit and has now taken a big step forward withh the launch of a national retail media network in Sweden.

Retail Media Hub at the heart

At the center of the network is Visual Art’s Retail Media Hub, part of the company’s in-store retail media service framework. The hub gathers structured data on inventory, screen format, size, share of voice, and reach, helping retailers present their stores as professional media channels. It integrates with Visual Art’s IXM platform and runs on the shared infrastructure of the Vertiseit Group, IXM Grid.

“Retail media is entering a new phase where coherent, greater reach is crucial,” says Visual Art CEO Pontus Meijer. “By bringing several retailers into a shared network, we reduce the threshold for entry and make it easier for advertisers to purchase relevant reach that is closely connected to the point of purchase. Greater reach generates greater impact.”

Just like traditional Out-of-Home networks, retail media networks (RMNs) need scale to attract advertisers. By combining several RMNs into a bigger, more connected network, retailers can access larger advertising budgets than they could with their own in-store displays alone.

Clear data standards required

To join the network, however, retailers need to meet strict standards for data structure and quality. Each retailer is responsible for managing and providing its own first-party data. In practical terms, this means the network only works if retailers organize their data and share it with Visual Art.

Bonnier News, part of the same group as Vertiseit’s main shareholder Bonnier Capital, is the first sales partner to come on board. Starting March 3, it will roll out in-store retail media as part of its 2026 offerings, using its existing sales team and tools to package and sell reach across the network.

Part of a bigger platform strategy

For Vertiseit, the RMN launch is part of a bigger plan to become a globally leading digital signage company with a full-featured software platform at its core.

“Vertiseit develops In-Store Experience Management platforms for brands and retailers,” says Johan Lind, CEO of Vertiseit. “Beyond technology, we build infrastructure for growth. Our Retail Media Hub, integrated with IXM platforms and built on IXM Grid, enables orchestration of digital touchpoints in physical environments and scalable structuring of inventory and reach. This represents an important step in long-term value creation.”

Visual Art says this is the first nationally cohesive retail media network in the Nordics, spanning multiple retailers. It builds on the company’s track record of delivering end-to-end digital signage solutions that also support ad sales.

The network is launching in Sweden first, with plans to expand to other Nordic countries soon.